supernova
noun
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A nova, despite its name, isn't actually a "new" star, but rather one that wasn't noticed until it exploded, when it may increase in brightness by a million times before returning to its previous state a few days later. A supernova is far larger; a star in its supernova state may emit a billion times as much light as previously. After a few weeks it begins to dim, until it eventually ceases to exist; it's often replaced by a black hole. (Though remains that were shot out into space may survive; those of a great supernova seen in A.D. 1054 are now known as the Crab Nebula.) All this may serve as a warning to those human stars whose fame explodes too rapidly; supernovas of this kind have sometimes vanished by the following year.
Examples of supernova in a Sentence
Ashley Strickland, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
Pop supernova Chappell Roan may have another project in the works following her successful debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2024
Recent research by Chamba and colleagues has also shed light on the role that supernovas might play in the dispersion of gas within a galaxy — where 'stellar feedback' can influence the inflows and outflows of gas in a galaxy which either supports or negates star formation.
—Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
But according to Freedman, the galaxies’ supernovas seemed to be intrinsically brighter than the ones in farther galaxies.
—Liz Kruesi, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near supernova
Cite this Entry
“Supernova.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supernova. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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supernova
noun
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