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On the Verge of a Star Burst (2 of 5)

Caption: The first light flash: The core collapses and sends a shock wave out. For a few hours the shock compresses and heats the envelope, thus producing a very bright flash of light from the inside of the star. This image relates to an article that appeared in the June 13, 2008 issue of Science , published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. Kevin Schawinski and colleagues at University of Oxford in Oxford, UK was titled "Supernova Shock Breakout from a Red Supergiant."

Credit: Image courtesy of NASA/HST/COSMOS

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