supernova
Dying star's blaze
A supernova is the explosive death of a star, releasing enormous energy and briefly outshining entire galaxies.
The explosion scatters heavy elements into space—the raw material for planets and life.
Figuratively, supernova describes spectacular sudden brilliance or a dramatic peak before collapse: Her career went supernova in the nineties.
Violent burst of energy
- shockwavePropagating pressure disturbance
- ejectaMaterial forcibly discharged
- remnantWhat stays after most goes
- progenitorAncestor or originator
supergiant · rebound · implosion · thermonuclear · detonation · Betelgeuse
Interstellar gas formation
- pulsarMagnetized rotating neutron emitter
- magnetarNeutron star, intense field
- black-holeCollapsed star's remnant
- filamentsVery thin threads
Lasting very briefly
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- short-livedLasting only briefly
- fadingGradual loss of intensity
decaying · peak · decline · weeks · months · survey · detection · alert
Gravitationally bound stellar mass
- interstellarBetween celestial bodies
- AndromedaNearest spiral galaxy
- cosmologyStudy of universal structure
- space-timeFused dimensional framework
Surpassing in brilliance
- radianceGlowing luminous quality
- brillianceExceptional intelligence or luster
- blindingPainfully intense light
- dazzlingOverwhelmingly bright or impressive
incandescent · flare · afterglow · plateau · decline · redshift
explosion
Violent burst of energy
- shockwavePropagating pressure disturbance
- ejectaMaterial forcibly discharged
- remnantWhat stays after most goes
progenitor · supergiant · rebound · implosion · thermonuclear · detonation · Betelgeuse
nebula
Interstellar gas formation
- pulsarMagnetized rotating neutron emitter
- magnetarNeutron star, intense field
- black-holeCollapsed star's remnant
ephemeral
Lasting very briefly
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- short-livedLasting only briefly
fading · decaying · peak · decline · weeks · months · survey · detection · alert · early-warning
galaxy
Gravitationally bound stellar mass
- interstellarBetween celestial bodies
- AndromedaNearest spiral galaxy
- cosmologyStudy of universal structure
outshining
Surpassing in brilliance
- radianceGlowing luminous quality
- brillianceExceptional intelligence or luster
- blindingPainfully intense light
dazzling · incandescent · flare · afterglow · plateau · decline · redshift
gold
Element seventy-nine
silicon · oxygen · carbon · helium · fusion · enrichment · seeding · isotopes
- night skystars, moon, constellations, shooting stars, constellation
- astronomy termseclipse, solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, star, meteor shower
- "super" wordssuperhero, superstar, superman, superwoman, superpower
- space phenomenastars, black hole, meteors, wormhole, dark energy
- space photosnebula, galaxy, black hole, star cluster, solar eclipse
- astrophysicsblack hole, neutron star, black holes, neutron stars, pulsar
supernovablack hole
Collapsed star's remnant
black dwarf · dark nebula · white dwarf · brown dwarf · failed star
supernovafizzle
Fail after promising start
whimper · fade · petering out · winding down · slow burn
- supernova explosion
- supernova remnantMaterial ejected by dying star