supernova

en-noun

supernova (plural supernovae or supernovæ or supernovas)

supernovae (plural)
supernovæ (plural)
supernovas (plural)

(astronomy) A powerful and bright explosion of a massive star, which afterwards becomes a neutron star or a black hole, or is destroyed.


nova

Feminine nominative singular of Latin novus (“new”). The feminine is used since stella (“star”) is feminine; thus nova is a shortening of nova stella (“new star”), first used in this sense in 1573 by Tycho Brahe.

(astronomy) Any sudden brightening of a previously inconspicuous star.


SN

SN (countable and uncountable, plural SNs)

substantia nigra
substantia nigra#English

(neuroanatomy) Initialism of substantia nigra.


nova remnant

(astronomy) The ejected material left behind by novae.


gravitational collapse

gravitational collapse (countable and uncountable, plural gravitational collapses)

The stage in the evolution of a star in which the pressure of the star is insufficient to maintain it at a stable size, and its material falls inward under its own gravity, eventually forming a black hole or a neutron star, and sometimes accompanied by a supernova explosion.


GRB

(astronomy) Initialism of gamma-ray burst.


r-process

(nuclear physics, astrophysics) The relatively rapid nucleosynthesis process, in supernovae, in which a large neutron flux allows rapid neutron capture and synthesis of elements up to the transuranic elements.


supernova remnant

supernova remnant (plural supernova remnants)

The Crab Nebula is the most studied supernova remnant.

(astronomy) A nebula that is formed from supernova explosion debris.


gamma-ray burst

gamma-ray burst (plural gamma-ray bursts)

(astronomy) A flash of gamma rays that seem to originate from a random point in the sky; their most likely sources are believed to be supernova explosions of a very massive stars and mergers of neutron stars.


PNS

PNS (countable and uncountable, plural PNSs)

proto-neutron star
proto-neutron star#English


hypernova

hypernova (plural hypernovas or hypernovae)

(astronomy) The gravitational collapse of a massive star to form a black hole.

hipernova

the gravitational collapse of a massive star to form a black hole


LRN

luminous red nova
luminous red nova#English

(astronomy) Initialism of luminous red nova: an astronomical event, believed to be a type of stellar explosion, intermediate in power between a nova and a supernova, and such that as the explosive debris expands it reddens and cools, unlike a nova or supernova, in which thinning explosive debris exposes hotter interior layers.


neutronization

(physics, astronomy) The process, such as within a collapsing star, in which protons and electrons fuse to form neutrons and release neutrinos.


kilonova

kilonova (plural kilonovas or kilonovae)

From kilo- + nova. From kilo- (“thousands”). From being much more luminous than a nova, but less so than a typical supernova.

(astronomy) A type of supernova that is underluminous, caused by the merger of two neutron stars


unnova

From un- + nova. From being similar to a supernova-process collapse, without the bright novalike outburst.

(astronomy) The collapse of a star which cannot explode in a supernova.


CCSN

core collapse supernova
core collapse supernova#English

Abbreviation of core collapse supernova.


proto-neutron star

proto-neutron star (plural proto-neutron stars)

(stars) The degenerate core of a massive star, prior to its emergence after a supernova as a neutron star.


supernova impostor

supernova impostor (plural supernova impostors)

(astronomy) An extremely energetic stellar flare event that is bright enough to be mistaken for a supernova, but through later spectral analysis is revealed to not be one.


failed supernova

failed supernova (plural failed supernovae or failed supernovas)

failed supernovae (plural)
failed supernovas (plural)

(astronomy) An event that ends the fusion lifetime of a large and massive star. It is a partial type-II supernova, where the collapse process occurs, but no significant rebound occurs, and the nascent black hole swallows the incoming implosion resulting in no outbound explosion or subsequent light burst.


fast-evolving luminous transient

fast-evolving luminous transient (plural fast-evolving luminous transients)

fast-evolving luminous transients (plural)

(astronomy) A type of weak supernova whose luminous shell cools quickly and within days goes dark


carbon detonation

carbon detonation (countable and uncountable, plural carbon detonations)

(astronomy, nuclear physics) The explosive ignition of thermonuclear fusion within a carbon-oxygen white dwarf star that occurs when its mass exceeds approximately 1.4 times that of the Sun (due to accretion of material or merger with another star), producing a supernova which completely destroys the star.