Astronomy
Superluminous Supernovae and Their Powering Mechanisms
Quick fact
The most luminous superluminous supernovae can be 100 times brighter than a typical core-collapse supernova, and their extreme energy cannot be explained by radioactive decay alone.
Why this is interesting
Imagine an explosion so bright it briefly outshines its entire galaxy. Superluminous supernovae do exactly that, and their power source has puzzled astronomers for decades.