One of the brightest things in the universe is caused by one of the most powerful explosions in the universe: a supernova. While they don’t happen very often, they were known to ancient peoples and their appearance would often be recorded because they were such a rare and special event. Today, astrophysicists have a much better understanding of what supernovas are and how they can help us better understand the rest of the universe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices