Nova vs. Supernova

Novanoun

(astronomy) Any sudden brightening of a previously inconspicuous star.

Novanoun

A star which suddenly increases in brightness thousands of times, then fades back to near its original intensity. It may appear as a "new" star if its original brightness was too low for routine observation. A star which suddenly increases in brightness to many millions of times its original intensity is a supernova, and the postulated mechanisms for the increases of brightness of novae and supernovae are different.

Novanoun

a star that ejects some of its material in the form of a cloud and become more luminous in the process

Nova

A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently star, that slowly fades over several weeks or many months. Causes of the dramatic appearance of a nova vary, depending on the circumstances of the two progenitor stars.

Supernovanoun

(star) The explosion of a star, which increases its brightness to typically a billion times that of our sun, though attenuated by the great distance from our sun. Some leave only debris (Type I); others fade to invisibility as neutron stars (Type II).

Supernovanoun

a star that explodes and becomes extremely luminous in the process

Supernova

A supernova ( plural: supernovae or supernovas, abbreviations: SN and SNe) is a powerful and luminous stellar explosion. This transient astronomical event occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion.