Supernovae of this type help astronomers measure the distance to faraway galaxies. This is possible because Type Ia supernovae have the same intrinsic luminosity—no matter how bright they seem ...

Astrophysicists studying the early universe think planet formation didn’t begin in earnest until supernovae had released enough heavy elements to form planetesimals, the building blocks of rocky ...

Type Ia supernovae are valuable to astronomers because they serve as reliable cosmic yardsticks. They are believed to have a consistent intrinsic brightness, meaning they all emit the same amount of ...

This has been used to establish distances across the cosmos using Cepheid variable stars and Type 1a supernovae. Both objects can be likened to ‘standard candles’ whose actual brightness is very well ...