Webb Found the Oldest Supernova Ever — and It Shouldn't Look Like This

On March 14, 2025, a satellite picked up a ten-second burst of gamma rays from a source whose light had traveled for about thirteen billion years. The James Webb Space Telescope followed up and found the earliest supernova confirmed so far, a star that exploded when the universe was only about 730 million years old. Strangely, it looks a lot like the supernovae we see nearby. In this video we follow that discovery and the strangest star explosions on record: SN 2024ggi, caught within hours and found to be shaped like an olive; Eta Carinae, a star that erupted like a supernova and survived; AT2018cow, an explosion that rose far too fast; and GRB 250702B, a burst that lasted more than seven hours. We also look at the leftovers (Cassiopeia A, G292.0+1.8, pulsars, and magnetars), find out whether Betelgeuse is a threat, and see what lies ahead for our own Sun. Sources are listed in the pinned comment. If you enjoyed the video, please like it, share it with a friend who loves space, and subscribe for more. Chapters: 0:00 The Ten-Second Signal 1:48 What Makes a Star Explode 2:43 Why Time Looks Stretched 3:53 Why Early Stars Should Be Different 4:59 Cassiopeia A and the Green Monster 6:36 Catching SN 2024ggi in the Act 8:31 Eta Carinae: The Star That Survived 10:02 The Cow: A Blast That Rose Too Fast 11:13 GRB 250702B: The Seven-Hour Burst 13:00 What the Remnant G292 Reveals 14:29 Neutron Stars and Pulsars 15:44 Magnetars 16:31 Betelgeuse: How Close Is Too Close? 18:08 The Sun's Future 19:27 Final Thoughts