News Astronomy

Kepler’s surprise: Planet hunter also found supernovas

Now-defunct telescope captured five stellar explosions as they happened

SUPERNOVA SPOTTER  NASA’s Kepler space telescope, illustrated here, did more than just find planets. New research shows that it discovered at least five explosions of giant stars.

NASA

By Andrew Grant

- More than 2 years ago

OXON HILL, Md. — NASA’s premier planet-hunting telescope had an unexpected talent: spotting the cataclysmic demise of giant stars.