A weird star produced the fastest nova on record

Dead star's cannibalism of its planetary system is most far-reaching ever witnessed

Fastest nova ever found 'rings' like a bell thanks to a feeding and magnetic white dwarf. The nova eruption increased the star's brightness some 10,000 times (magnitude 16 to magnitude 6), briefly making it visible to the naked eye. However, it significantly dimmed within a day instead of weeks.

The tarantula's cosmic web: Astronomers map violent star formation in nebula outside our galaxy