Supernovas, The Big Bang, and More with NOVA. Death Star They are so bright, they are a billion billion times more luminous than the sun. They are so distant, their light takes billions of years just to reach Earth. These amazingly violent explosions-or death stars-may even have the power to eradicate life in an entire galaxy. See how these celestial phenomena can teach us about the dawn of the universe. And hear a controversial theory of how a gamma ray burst somewhere in our own galaxy could destroy life on Earth. Death Of A Star Supernovas are as spectacular as they are rare. In early 1987, a giant star exploded in the sky - one of the most violent celestial events since the creation of the universe. Why did this phenomenon fascinate, baffle, and delight astronomers? What causes a star to explode? How will these energy blasts help us understand our universe? Journey to space and around the globe for an astounding look at the true meaning of star power. Runaway Universe Join the dramatic quest to unlock the secrets of the universe as two rival astronomy teams search for exploding stars, map gigantic cosmic patterns of galaxies, and grapple with the ultimate question: what is the fate of the universe? With the use of stunning three-dimensional cosmic simulations, explore the riddle of "dark energy" - the mysterious repulsive force that some scientists believe counteracts gravity.