Einstein Probe catches 30-solar-mass star exploding in rare detail

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For the first time since 2008, astronomers have observed the full sequence of a supernova from its initial shock breakout. The star, estimated at 30 times the Sun’s mass and located 500 million light-years away, was detected by China’s Einstein Probe on March 21, 2026. A fleeting X-ray flare signaled the shock wave from the collapsing core. A global network of telescopes, including NASA’s Chandra, tracked the event for almost three months. The Times of India reports the star was a rare Wolf-Rayet, stripped of its outer layers. Its explosion, classified as a broad-lined Type Ic supernova, showed no gamma-ray burst, puzzling scientists who theorise a “choked jet” may have failed to break through.