Few things have more influence in the cosmos than the most violent celestial death we know of: the supernova. These stellar finales are so extreme that not only do they shape the space directly around them and nearby galaxies, but they explode with such force that they forge new, heavier elements than they contained before. These cosmic blasts often spit out their material, spreading the star's guts, dust, and gas speeding out in all directions for light years.
