* Astronomy

Failed explosions explain most peculiar supernovae

Supercomputer simulations have revealed that a type of oddly dim, exploding star is probably a class of duds - one that could nonetheless throw new light on the mysterious nature of dark energy.
Most of the thousands of exploding stars classified as type Ia supernovae look similar, which is why astrophysicists use them as accurate cosmic distance indicators. They have shown that the expansion of the universe is accelerating under the influence of an unknown force now called dark energy. Yet approximately 20 type Ia supernovae look peculiar.
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