Astronomers have observed what they are calling a new type of supernova, which has provided an unparalleled glimpse into what happens deep within a star just before it explodes.

A study detailing the surprising discovery published Wednesday in the journal Nature .

Massive stars are like celestial onions: the outermost layers are made up of lightweight elements such as hydrogen and helium while layers of heavier elements lay underneath.

These stars, which can be 10 to 100 times heavier than our sun, are powered by nuclear fusion, a process in which lighter elements are fused together to create heavier ones.

Stars begin with a composition of about 75% hydrogen and 25% helium, with small amounts of carbon, nitrogen, silicon and other elements, said study coauthor Adam Miller, assistant

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