Summary:
- Astronomers have observed a shocking nova explosion of a dead star that was 100 times brighter than the Sun.
- The nova, named M31N 2008-12a, is located in the Andromeda galaxy and is the result of a white dwarf star accreting material from a companion star, leading to a thermonuclear explosion on the surface of the white dwarf.
- This nova is the most rapidly recurring known, with explosions occurring approximately once per year, and it is providing insights into the processes that lead to the most energetic stellar explosions in the universe.