Scientists Catch a Star Exploding in Rare Detail

By Space.Fan Editorial DeskSeptember 28, 2026 at 8:02 AM UTC

Astronomers witnessed a star blow up just 40 minutes after the blast began, offering a new look at how massive stars die.

Image · Space.Fan

The Drop

In a rare feat of timing, astronomers captured an exploding known as SN 2024iss just 40 minutes after the initial blast. This event, classified as a Type IIb , happens when a massive loses most of its outer hydrogen layer before it finally explodes. Because they reacted so quickly, the team was able to record the earliest ultraviolet light spectrum ever seen for this specific type of . To make this discovery, the researchers used the Zwicky Transient Facility, a high-speed camera that watches the sky for sudden flashes. Once they knew the explosion was happening, they quickly turned the Hubble Space Telescope toward the light. By looking at the ultraviolet light, scientists could see what materials were inside the ’s outer shell right as it ripped apart. By analyzing the data, the team estimated how much material was ejected during the blast. They also found signs that the had been shedding its outer layers for several years before the final explosion. This suggests the was not alone in space but was likely part of a pair of s that had been interacting.

Why It Matters

This discovery helps bridge a gap in our understanding of how s end their lives. By seeing the explosion almost the moment it ted, scientists can test theories about the 's size and the material surrounding it. This helps clarify how mass is lost from s before they go , which is a key part of how elements are recycled back into the galaxy.

The Catch

While the team gathered a lot of information, they still rely on computer models to estimate the exact size and mass of the original . Because they only have one specific example, they cannot be sure if this ’s behavior is common or if this was a unique event.

Put That in Perspective

Seeing an explosion this early is very difficult and requires global teamwork. In the past, scientists usually caught these events days or weeks late. Now that they know how to spot them so quickly, researchers plan to use these same techniques to study more explosions to see how common this specific pattern of light really is.

Source September 28, 2026

R. J. Yete, W. V. Jacobson-Galán, Ferdinand, L. Dessart, M. M. Kasliwal, K. W. Davis, A. L. Piro, V. A. Villar, I. Andreoni, K. Auchettl

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, California Institute of Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, University of California, Santa Cruz, Carnegie Institute for Science, Harvard & Smithsonian, University of Hawaii, University of California, Berkeley, University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University·The Astrophysical Journal·10.3847/1538-4357/ae91e3