supernovae

Mass extinction 359 million years ago may have been caused by supernovae

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Exploding stars — or ‘supernovae’ — a mere 65 light years from Earth may have triggered the devastating mass extinction event around 359 million years ago. The Late Devonian extinction saw vanish 50 per cent of all genera — groups of species — and 19 per cent of all families, the next largest grouping on … Read more

Betelgeuse is ‘a little bit dusty’ and won’t be going supernovae anytime soon

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The massive red supergiant star Betelgeuse won’t be going supernovae anytime soon as astronomers discover it is ‘just a little bit dusty’. Last year the giant star started to dim and at one point reached just 30 per cent of its usual brightness, prompting some speculation that it was about to explode. The star has … Read more