The dimmest ever exploding star has been spotted by the twin ATLAS telescopes in Hawaii. Solving the mystery of how the explosion happened could have implications for how we measure the expansion rate of the universe.
One theory for the origin of this peculiar astronomical event – 150 million light years away – is that it is a failed or incomplete detonation of a small, very dense star called a white dwarf. Stars of low to medium mass like the sun become white dwarfs after they have burned …
source: newscientist.com