Astronomers just watched a star explode – and saw its insides exposed. For the first time in history, scientists got a direct look inside a star at the moment it went supernova – revealing inner layers that had, until now, only existed in theory. A massive star 2.2 billion light-years away reached the end of its life and exploded in a brilliant burst of light. But something was off. When researchers analyzed the spectrum of light from the explosion, they didn’t see the usual lighter elements lik

The stunning remnants of an exploded star include elements that helped build life on Earth. | National Geographic