Massive Star Explodes in Spectacular Supernova, Visible to Amateur Astronomers

A supernova called SN 2023ixf has appeared in the Pinwheel Galaxy, 25 million light-years away from Earth.
The supernova is visible with a 4.5-inch telescope and should remain visible for a few more months.
The deceased star was likely many times larger than our own Sun and will transform into a neutron star or a black hole.
Witnessing the death of a star is an exciting moment as a star's lifetime is millions to billions of years.
Astronomers found evidence of a binary star system that will eventually create a kilonova, producing bursts of gamma rays and large amounts of gold and platinum.