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When a massive star runs out of fuel, the central region of the star collapses,triggering a chain of events that quickly culminate in a supernova explosion.

Most of these explosions are generally symmetrical, with the stellar material blasting away more or less evenly in all directions. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months. Supernovae can be initiated in one of two ways: by the sudden re ignition of nuclear fusion in a degenerate star; or by the collapse of the core of a massive star.