Photo: Competing Theories Proposed for Superbright Supernova

Email to a Friend << Back to Full Story


An x-ray image taken by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals supernova 2006gy (left) shining as bright as the nucleus of its galaxy.

This puzzling brilliance has led scientists to propose two unusual formation mechanisms: a collision between two massive stars or a single, repeatedly exploding star.

Image courtesy NASA/CXC/UC Berkeley/N.Smith et al.

MOST VIEWED NEWS

PICTURES: 2012 Doomsday Myths Debunked

2012: Six End-of-the-World Myths Debunked

APOCALYPSE PICTURES: 10 Failed Doomsday Prophecies
NEWS FEEDS    After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed. After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed.

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS

ADVERTISEMENT

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's National Geographic Photo of the Day

• Today's Photo

• Download as Wallpaper

50 Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.