supernova
noun
Did you know?
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
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Sure, other fates are possible, like direct collapse to a black hole or explosions through the pair-instability mechanism, but a core-collapse supernova (also known as a type II supernova) represents the fate of the majority of the most massive stars ever to be born.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 12 Sep. 2025
Located in the constellation Cygnus, the Western Veil Nebula is part of a larger structure, an expansive supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop.
—Harry Bennett, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Finally, Sambal Goreng Chili Topping tore into my culinary universe like a condiment supernova.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for supernova
Cite this Entry
“Supernova.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supernova. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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supernova
noun
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