Summary: From time to time "guest stars" have appeared in the sky, at times shining bright enough to see during the daytime. We now know the "guest stars" are gigantic stellar explosions called supernovae. A supernova is the final explosion of a giant star coming to the end of its life. In a desire to understand supernovae, astronomers seek them out, hoping to learn more about how the universe is seeded with the raw materials needed for new stars, planets, and ultimately life. In the second part of this special two-part edition of Astronomy Behind the Headlines we talk with Dr. Alex Filippenko about some current research and findings about supernovae.
