Junior-Sized Supernova Discovered By New York Teen

Matt_dk writes "In November 2008, Caroline Moore, a 14-year-old student from upstate New York, discovered a supernova in a nearby galaxy, making her the youngest person ever to do so. Additional observations determined that the object, called SN 2008ha, is a new type of stellar explosion, 1000 times more powerful than a nova but 1000 times less powerful than a supernova. Astronomers say that it may be the weakest supernova ever seen."

Comments

Statement on Society

[whisper_jeff]

"If a normal supernova is a nuclear bomb, then SN 2008ha is a bunker buster..."

I find it kind of a sad statement on society that a scientist finds a comparison to weapons of war to be the best way to describe an event to people. It's a good analogy because it explains the situation well but it says a lot about society that that's the analogy-of-choice...