After reviewing a massive stellar explosion, researchers believe they spotted a never-before-seen type of supernova that involves a nearby black hole. A thermonuclear supernova occurs when a low-mass white dwarf at least 8 times smaller than the sun absorbs matter from a companion star until it explodes. Meanwhile, an iron-core collapse supernova happens after a star more than 10 times our sun’s mass finally depletes all its fuel and subsequently collapses into a neutron star or black hole. The study’s authors say it’s also possible that the black hole simply ripped 2023zkd apart before it got the chance to explode on its own time. Instead, the black hole began devouring the star, which eventually sparked a supernova after its debris collided with the surrounding gas.