Astronomers Capture Close-Up Images Of Exploding Stars In Stunning Detail

by Aaron Leong — Tuesday, December 09, 2025, 10:41 AM EDT

Astrophysicists have achieved an eye-opening leap in understanding stellar death, capturing unprecedented, detailed images of two exploding stars that demonstrate these blasts are far more complicated than previously assumed.

These new observations, published in Nature Astronomy last week, utilized a technique called interferometry at California's Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) array. By combining light collected from multiple telescopes, astronomers achieved a resolution sharp enough to directly witness these unfolding cataclysms. Study co-author and Texas Tech University astrophysicist Elias Aydi likened the breakthrough to "going from a grainy black-and-white photo to high-definition video," providing visual evidence of the messy, multi-stage (and sometimes mysterious) nature of nova eruptions.

chara star — Scientists at Georgia State’s CHARA Array captured images of Nova V1674, one of the fastest stellar explosions on record. Images of Nova V1674 Herculis obtained 2.2 days (left) and 3.2 days (middle) after the explosion. The panel on the right shows an artistic impression of the explosion. Click to enlarge (Credit: CHARA Array)

The team imaged two novae that erupted in 2021, each providing a unique piece of the puzzle. The first, Nova V1674 Herculis, was one of the fastest stellar explosions ever recorded, brightening and fading in a matter of days. Images captured just days after the initial blast revealed the formation of two distinct, perpendicular outflows of gas. This finding indicates that the explosion was not a single, impulsive release but rather powered by multiple, interacting ejections. (The high-energy gamma ray outflows were also detected simultaneously by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.)

The second sample, Nova V1405 Cassiopeiae, was an equally surprising revelation. This nova evolved much slower, and, contrary to established models, the star appeared to hold onto its outer layers for more than 50 days before finally expelling them in a forceful rush. Like the rapid herculis, this slower explosion also triggered new shocks and produced gamma rays detected by the Fermi telescope.

No doubt, these implications challenge the long-held assumption that novae are simple, single-ejection events, pointing instead to a variety of complex ejection pathways. Perhaps this new data can help astronomers connect the dots between nuclear reactions on the star’s surface, geometry of the ejected material, and the powerful shock waves that generate high-energy radiation.

"Novae are more than fireworks in our galaxy—they are laboratories for extreme physics," explained Laura Chomiuk, a co-author from Michigan State University. The team believes that that their study will aid future high-resolution observations in answering profound questions about how stars live, die, and affect their environs.