A supernova is a stellar explosion that produces an extremely bright object made of plasma that declines to invisibility over weeks or months. There are several different types of supernovae and two possible routes to their formation. A massive star may cease to generate fusion energy from fusing the nuclei of atoms in its core and collapses inward under the force of its own gravity, or a white dwarf star may accumulate material from a companion star until it reaches its Chandrasekhar limit and undergoes a thermonuclear explosion (see Nova). In either case, the resulting supernova explosion expels much or all of the stellar material with great force.

The explosion drives a blast wave into the surrounding space, forming a supernova remnant. One famous example of this process is the remnant of SN 1604, shown to the right.

"Nova" (pl. novae) is Latin for "new", referring to what appears to be a very bright new star shining in the celestial sphere; the prefix "super" distinguishes this from an ordinary nova, which also involves a star increasing in brightness, though to a lesser extent and through a different mechanism. However, it is misleading to consider a supernova as a new star, because it really represents the death of a star (or at least its radical transformation into something else).

More on [ Supernova ]

Movies Reviews

Review for The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience - Must Go! - Bitter Sweet
I found myself shaken after seeing the Dark Knight. It was by far the best movie I have seen this summer and possibly ever. However, knowing I will never get to see Heath Ledger reprise his role as Joker leaves me feeling sad. After all the hype I was a little bit skeptical, yet as he took over the film and made me anxiously await the next scene he would be in, I knew that he lived up to the high hopes and well beyond. For those of you who say the movie was too long, I couldn't disagree more. While it was a long film and there were a few places where the movie could have have ended, I was more than relieved each time the film continued on. Seeing it on the IMAX screen was spectacular. It felt as if I was included in each action scene. I honestly do not see how they could possibly make another Batman movie after this one. It surpassed the original, and now that Ledger has passed, the next one doesn't stand a chance (especially with talks of casting Cher as Catwoman). See this movie!
Review for The Dark Knight - Must Go! - The Dark Knight
With the film being compelling and fun with a very dark twist, I have never seen a Batman movie done like this before. It sets a more sadistic tone towards the enemy's motives, namely The Joker (Ledger). The film also had a big change of pace with the normal superhero movies, which I will not spoil until others who read this see it on the big screen. The point of this review. Ledger was fantastic as The Joker, the film was long and dark to the very end, and it's a must see. My ONLY concern of the movie was that it seemed like the film rating was close to "R" rather than PG-13.
Review for Babylon A.D. - Must Go! - A must see for Riddick fans
This movie has all of the features of Vin's Riddick character, but only placed in a "not so distant future." I must admit, I was a little disappointed with the ending, it certainly could have gone in many different directions worthy of an excellent movie. Having said that, Vin's character makes this movie. No surpries there! I guarentee for those of us that carry our "Chronicle's Of Riddick" dvds around with us, this is a must see movie. 'Nough said....... chrisinfl

L.A. Times - Movie Reviews

'Mamma's Man,' 'Ping Pong Playa,' 'Mister Foe,' 'Love and Honor'
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700
At once poignant and ruefully amusing, director Azazel Jacobs' third feature, "Momma's Man," finds Mikey (Matt Boren) visiting his parents (Flo and Ken Jacobs) while on a business trip to New York City, only to discover that he can't leave.
Review: 'A Girl Cut in Two'
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Claude Chabrol's French update of an American scandal is subtle and complex. Impeccably made and uncompromisingly adult, Claude Chabrol's "A Girl Cut in Two" is unquestionably the work of a master. As well it should be, given that the celebrated French filmmaker has produced more than 50 features in a full half-century of directing. If you don't believe all that experience can come in handy, this involving and intelligent film will change your mind.
MOVIE REVIEW: 'Babylon A.D.'
Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Vin Diesel stars in the sci-fi adventure that has a violent and confusing plot that's all too familiar. The gritty world-weariness that informs the first 10 minutes of the new sci-fi adventure "Babylon A.D." promises something along the lines of the daring, socially inquisitive "Children of Men," with the bonus of Vin Diesel killing people. Unfortunately, the film quickly degenerates into chases and gunfights and not much else.

Movies

Traitor
David Denby Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 -0000
The Film File
The House Bunny
Richard Brody Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 -0000
The Film File
I Served the King of England
David Denby Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 -0000
The Film File

Rolling Stone Movie Reviews

Trouble the Water
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:31:14 -0700
Starring: Kendall "Wink" Rivers, Scott Roberts Review: A star is born. Her name is Kimberly Rivers Roberts. Your never heard of her. Not yet. Roberts didn't write or direct Trouble the Water, the behind-the-camera artistry in this wallop of a movie is handled by the extraordinary team of Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. Trouble the Water is a documentary, an unforgettable one. It's an account of Hurricane Katrina from the inside. Kimberly Rivers Roberts and her husband Scott Roberts were stuck in New Orleans, without the money to get out. So they stayed and helped their neighbors and shot footage of Katrina as she attacked, footage like you've never seen, jaw-dropping scenes of the city before, during and after Katrina struck. The heroism on view here is indisputable. You never see fear as Kimberly, 26, rushed to help her friends and... Rating: 3.5 Stars
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:51:48 -0700
Starring: Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Scarlet Johansson Review: Woody Allen goes latin (you heard me), and the romantic, richly comic result — powered by a dream cast — is his sexiest movie ever. Shooting in Spain has loosened up the Woodman. You want plot? Two American girls, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), spend the summer at the Barcelona hideaway of Vicky's pals, Mark (Kevin Dunn) and Judy (the ever-glorious Patricia Clarkson). No sooner do the girls spot Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), a bedroom-eyed painter, than he's hitting on both of them. So far, so predictable. What sparks the movie is Penélope Cruz as Maria Elena, the painter's ex-wife, a fireball given to strong emotions — hell, she once stabbed Juan Antonio during an argument. You haven't lived till you've heard Cruz and Bardem trading Woody Allen o... Rating: 3 Stars
Hamlet 2
Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:46:18 -0700
Starring: Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener Review: Don't expect a night with The Bard. This cuckoo farce asks: Can an L.A. actor stuck doing ads for herpes cures find happiness by moving to Tucson and teaching drama to high schoolers? Probably not. But you'll be wearing a happy face for two hours watching the brilliant Brit comic Steve Coogan play him. Him being Dana Marschz (pronounced Mars-chhh-zzz by those who dare), a sterile recovering alcoholic who gets slagged regularly by a snotty kid critic for staging movies (Dead Poets Society, Erin Brockovich) as plays. "He fisted us," cries Dana. Pumped by the addition of Latin students to his class of whitey Christians and closeted gays, Dana rouses himself — not with his wife (the dry, dazzling Catherine Keener), who's boinking their friend (David Arquette), but by creating an original... Rating: 3 Stars

Rotten Tomatoes: Top Movies

84% Tropic Thunder
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:05:02 -0700
With biting satire, plenty of subversive humor, and an unforgettable turn by Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder is a triumphant late Summer comedy.
7% Babylon A.D.
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:05:02 -0700
A poorly constructed, derivative sci-fi stinker with a weak script and poor action sequences.
94% The Dark Knight
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:05:02 -0700
Dark, complex and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga.

NPR Topics: Movies

The Gits' Mia Zapata Resurrected In Film
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:54:00 -0400
Kerri O'Kane's new film The Gits succeeds as a documentary—she makes the viewer fall in love with her subject—and then some. Working with sparse footage from the 1980s and '90s, O'Kane still manages to make us fall head over heels for the rag-tag bunch of punk rock misfits better known as the Gits.
Summary Judgment: A Record Summer For Movies
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0400
Despite economic woes, domestic ticket sales topped a record $4 billion this summer. Slate.com's Mark Jordan Legan caught up with a few movie-goers to see what they enjoyed about their cinematic experience. Food prices weren't part of it.
Alan Ball Re-Emerges With Vampires, 'Towelhead'
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:58:00 -0400
It's a big week for the creator of the death-obsessed series Six Feet Under. After several years out of the spotlight, his two major projects are emerging within a few days of each other. He discusses why both are focused on sex.

NYT > Red Carpet

The Lawsuit Over Producer Credit for 'Crash' Gets Personal
SHARON WAXMAN Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0400
A top executive of the movie academy described one of the producing team behind the best-picture winner, "Crash," as throwing a tantrum in suing over credit for the film.
News Analysis: Los Angeles Retains Custody of Oscar
DAVID CARR Tue, 07 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0400
Los Angeles, a place where race is discussed rarely, saw itself in "Crash," a film where encounter and understanding are just a random fender-bender away.
'Crash' Walks Away With the Top Prize at the Oscars
DAVID M. HALBFINGER and DAVID CARR Mon, 06 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0400
In a stunning twist, the motion picture academy turned its back on "Brokeback Mountain," awarding the Oscar for best picture to "Crash."

Village Voice | Films

The 39 Steps and Shoot the Piano Player Blow Up Conventions of the Comic Thriller
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The 39 Steps, revived this week in a new print at the BAMCinématek, was the most successful and remains the most celebrated of Alfred Hitchcock's British movies—twice remade and currently staged on Broadway. It is also the movie with which Hitchcock became Hitchcock. T...
Anthology Film Archives Revives the Public Mischief of Robert Downey Sr.
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Anarchically whimsical and countercultural with a capital C, the early underground comedies of Robert Downey Sr. (Putney Swope) will no longer be rarities now that Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation has restored his Babo 73 (1964), Chafed Elbows (1966), and the most uproarious of...
The Pool's Cinematic Outsourcing
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Is there a crisis among America's film independents? Are indolence, indifference, and commercial stagnation sucking the lifeblood out of U.S. movies? Chris Smith may have the solution: Leave the country entirely. Cast non- actors. Let them speak Hindi. You can call it cinematic outsourcin...

Film News from Times Online

Don LaFontaine, voice of the Hollywood film trailer, dies
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:52:08 -0000
Listen to the voice of Don LaFontaine
The Duchess
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000

RocknRolla
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000


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