Powerful Supernova May Be Related To Death Spasms of First Stars

necro81 writes "The New York Times is reporting on a discovery from a team of UC Berkley researchers, who may have discovered the brightest stellar explosion ever observed. Observations of the cataclysmic explosion of a 100- to 200-solar-mass star began last September, based on data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The researchers believe that the explosion is similar to the death spasms of the first stars in the universe. The super-massive star's collapse is believed to have been so energetic as to create unstable electron-positron pairs that tore the star apart before it could collapse into a black hole — seeding the universe with heavier elements."

Kinda OT, but I thought I'd say...

[Red Flayer]

Great summary. Lots of informative links, accurate and intriguing summary of the article(s). No gratuitous inflammatory question.

Someone pinch me, I think I'm dreaming.

Boom?

[Jugalator]

Big badaboom!

Re:Kinda OT, but I thought I'd say...

[Anonymous Coward]

Look, though! there's an off-topic post!!!

That's no Supernova

[MHz-Man]

It was a precursor bomb! Looks like someone's copying the Shofixti's tactics.

Re:Time-lapse video?

[Tablizer]

Is there a time-lapse video of this somewhere? The article I read only had an artist's rendering. Or when they say "observed" are they just talking about measurements?

Be veeery careful when asking for images on slashdot of anything that explodes, bursts, or has holes in it.
     

Old News...

[rthille]

Slashdot, 240 million years behind the times.

(I should probably post this anonymously :-)

RIP Planet Krypton

[Anonymous Coward]

The New York Times is reporting on a discovery from a team of UC Berkley researchers, who may have discovered the brightest stellar explosion ever observed.

causing the tragic end of the vibrant Kryptonian civilization.

seeding the universe with heavier elements.

Hmm...didn't they recently discover Kryptonite. Co-incidence?