Science Release: Astronomers Catch Massive Star’s Death From the First Explosive Moment

A rare cosmic explosion has given astronomers an unprecedented view of a massive star in its final moments, revealing a previously missing link between ordinary supernovae and the most energetic explosions in the Universe. Several NSF NOIRLab facilities and instruments helped to unravel the nature of this event, including the U.S. Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, the U.S.…