Eric Francis

Planet Waves began in 1998 as the home of the Eric Francis horoscope, a prominent feature in our premium service. Going far beyond what most Sun-sign astrologers even dream is possible, Eric brings in-depth interpretations to his work. He is a pioneer in the newly-discovered planets, including Chiron and the centaurs, and is able to translate their movements into accessible human terms, offering ideas for life, love and work. Discover a whole new world of literary journalism in Planet Waves. We offer free trial subscriptions, discounts for students and seniors, and gift subscriptions for veterans and those on active military duty.

Photo by Anthony Ayiomamitis. — Photo by Anthony Ayiomamitis, all rights reserved.

By Anthony Ayiomamitis | Perseus.gr

Supernovae represent the violent explosions of massive stars which have reached the end of their life-cycle. The one indicated by the black tick marks above was photographed Aug. 26 from Athens. It was discovered Aug. 24. This reverse monochrome image shows the supernova in the familiar Pinwheel Galaxy, a.k.a. Messier 101 or NGC 5457.

A supernova is a massive explosion where the bulk of a star’s material is ejected into space and the interstellar medium are characterized with luminosities which easily can exceed that of the host galaxy for a brief period of a few weeks or even months. This ejection of material including heavy elements is both vital and critical for new generations of stars and exoplanets.