Exploding supernova's shape unveiled for first time

Observations with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope showed the explosive death of a star just as the blast was breaking through its surface Scientists say it was shaped 'like an olive'

Scientists have revealed for the first time a jaw-dropping early view of an exploding supernova.

Observations with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) have revealed the explosive death of a star just as the blast was breaking through the star's surface.

It offers new insights into the true shape of supernovae and shows that they display olive-shaped characteristics rather than spherical.

The team said: "The astronomers found that the initial blast of material was shaped like an olive."

ESO said: "For the first time, astronomers unveiled