What then was this cataclysmic explosion that could destroy an entire star? Astronomers now know this event was a supernova, the final outburst of a once stable star. So, understanding supernovae requires a little understanding of the life cycle of a star.

No complicated astrophysics here, it is enough to know that supernovae happen in two ways – core collapse of large stars or thermonuclear explosions of white dwarfs.