Scroll down to explore the life and explosive death of a massive star.
From clouds of gas and dust, a protostar forms through gravity.
Stable burning of hydrogen fuels the star for millions of years.
The star expands and begins fusing heavier elements.
The core can't hold itself anymore. Gravity wins.
An explosion so bright, it outshines entire galaxies.
The final stage: collapsed matter beyond imagination.
Supernovae seed the universe with elements — the building blocks of planets, and life.