Meet the ‘Zombie Star’ That Survived a Supernova Blast

A 2005 image of the spiral galaxy NGC 1309, the location of a star explosion—a supernova - that did not result in stellar death. (NASA, ESA, The Hubble Heritage Team (STSCI/AURA), and A. Riess (JHU/STSCI)/Handout via Reuters)

WASHINGTON—Astronomers have observed in a relatively nearby galaxy a star that not only survived what ordinarily should have been certain death—a stellar explosion called a supernova—but emerged from it brighter than before the blast.

Meet the “zombie star.”