Dazzling Supernova Mystery Solved

James Morgan | Science reporter, BBC News

An exceptionally bright supernova that baffled scientists has been explained.

It is so luminous because a galaxy sitting in front amplifies its light – making it appear 100 billion times more dazzling than our Sun.

This cosmic magnifying glass lay hidden between Earth and the supernova – and has now been detected with a telescope in Hawaii.

The discovery, reported in the journal Science, settles an important controversy in the field of astronomy.

In 2010, a team of scientists observed the supernova, PS1-10afx, shining 30 times brighter than any other in its class.

They concluded it was a completely new type of stellar explosion.

But while there are a few, rare supernovas that have been found with comparable luminosities, there was something odd about this one, according to Dr Robert Quimby of the University of Tokyo’s Kavli Institute.

Cheers, all.