Nearby supernova.Nearby supernova supernova, a massive star in the latter stages of stellar evolution that suddenly contracts and then explodes, increasing its energy output as much as a billionfold. Astronomers at the Cerro TololoInteramerican Observatory at La Serena, Chile La Serena ("the serene one") is the second oldest city in Chile. The city, located 471 km north of Santiago, has a population of 147,815, according to the 2002 census. There are also 12,333 inhabitants of the immediately surrounding countryside. , discovered a supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud Noun 1. Large Magellanic Cloud - the larger of the two Magellanic Clouds visible from the southern hemisphere Magellanic Cloud - either of two small galaxies orbiting the Milky Way; visible near the south celestial pole on the morning of Feb. 24. This is the nearest known supernova to us in almost 400 years and apparently the first in that time to be visible to the naked eye. From the Southern Hemisphere, it should be the brightest star in the sky. It will not be visible from most of the Northern Hemisphere. |
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