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| − | A '''supernova''' is a stellar explosion caused when the mass of a star's core exceeds the sustainable limit or when nuclear fusion produces more energy than the star can contain. The explosion emits massive amounts of energy. Supernovae are classified as cataclysmic variables, the majority of which are close binary systems. Supernovae show sudden, dramatic, and final magnitude increases of 20 magnitudes or more, compared to a regular nova, which typically brighten 7 to 16 magnitudes of the course of 1 to several hundred days.
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| − | Although no supernova has been observed in the [[Milky Way]] since Kepler's Star of 1604 ([[SN 1604]]), supernova remnants indicate that on average the event occurs about three times every century in the Milky Way.
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