A Supernova is the explosive death of a [[Star|star]], releasing an enormous amount of energy in a short time.

Supernovae matter because they:
- forge and disperse many heavy elements (like iron, gold, and uranium) into space,
- can briefly outshine an entire [[Galaxy]],
- leave behind compact remnants such as [[Neutron Star|neutron stars]] or [[Black Hole|black holes]],
- and help trigger new generations of star formation.

There are multiple pathways to supernovae, but two common ones are:
- **Core-collapse supernovae** from very massive stars,
- **Type Ia supernovae** from white dwarfs in binary systems.

In short: supernovae are one of the main ways the universe recycles matter from old stars into future stars, planets, and life.

## See also
- [[The Big Bang]]
- [[Cosmos]]
- [[Science]]