Transient class · Light (optical/near-IR)
Type Ia Supernova
The thermonuclear detonation of a white dwarf that has been pushed over a critical mass. Their remarkably uniform peak brightness makes them the standard candles that measured the accelerating expansion of the universe.
Highlights
- ›The standard candles that revealed dark energy
Observed across & involves
Knowledge connections
- Associated withVisible light
- Associated withNear-infrared
- Associated withStandard Candles
- Associated withSH0ES
- Associated withSupernova Classification
- Associated withBinary Star Systems
- Associated withSupernova Remnant
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.