US EditionFor first time, scientists see the very early stages of a supernova
- November 12, 2025, researchers report ESO's Very Large Telescope observed supernova SN 2024ggi 26 hours after April 11, 2024, capturing its shock breakout for the first time.
- Seeing the shock breakout matters because it reveals how a star blows itself apart and lasts only hours to a day, so rapid follow-up was essential to capture it before circumstellar material obscured the view.
- Using the FORS2 instrument on ESO's VLT, the team used spectropolarimetry to show the initial blast formed a flattened, olive-like shape from the red supergiant that produced SN 2024ggi.
- The data allow researchers to rule out some theoretical supernova models, and the observed axial symmetry suggests magnetic fields may shape explosions more than neutrino absorption, Yang said.
- Acting within hours, the international team secured VLT time at the European Southern Observatory, and researchers say upcoming surveys will enable a new era of theory–observation dialogue, Adam Burrows said.
28 Articles
28 Articles
For first time, scientists see the very early stages of a supernova
The explosive death of a star - a supernova - is among the most violent cosmic events, but precisely how this cataclysm looks as it unfolds has remained mysterious. Scientists now have observed for the first time the very early stages of a supernova, with a massive star exploding in a distinctive olive-like shape.
Groundbreaking new images show moment supernova is born in violent space inferno
Extraordinary new images have been released showing the moment a supernova was born in a violent space inferno. The breakthrough study managed to capture the "shock breakout" - the point when a massive star dies and a supernova is created - which had previously never been seen due to its fleeting nature.SN 2024ggi, a new supernova, erupted on April 10 last year 22 million light years away in the galaxy NGC 3621 - near the Hydra constellation, in…
Exploding Star’s Dramatic First Moments Captured for the First Time
A race against the clock to coordinate an intergovernmental effort to reposition imaging hardware atop a mountain in Chile’s Atacama Desert sounds like something out of a spy thriller. But the reason for the rush was even more dramatic—the explosive death of a massive star and a rapidly closing window to observe it. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . On April 10, 2024, astronomers detected supernova SN 2024ggi a …
Scientists have observed for the first time the very early stages of a supernova, an exploding star, using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile.
The Bright Side: Scientists witness supernova's early stages for the first time
Scientists have observed the early stages of a star's violent death – a supernova – for the first time. The shape of these cosmic explosions has been hard to specify until now because of how rapidly they take place.
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