Unique supernova found in constellation

BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 6 (UPI) -- An exploding star known as SN2002bj could be a new class of supernova that resulted in a true thermonuclear explosion, a California researcher said.

The star at first seem liked any other that flashes into existence all the time. A closer look, however, revealed unusual spectral details, Dovi Poznanski, a University of California, Berkeley, postdoctoral researcher told The San Francisco Chronicle.

SN2002bj, in a first known to researchers, apparently came into existence when helium gas flowed from a massive white dwarf star to another orbiting nearby. The resulting explosion faded away in days rather than months, its formation differing greatly from other supernovas, Poznanski said.

SN2002bj flared in a galaxy 135 million light-years away, its unique characteristics spotted six months ago when Poznanski was reviewing supernova records. The unique supernova is located in the constellation Lepus the hare, Poznanski wrote in Thursday's edition of the journal Science.