Supernovor

Supernovor is a term used in speculative astronomy and science fiction to describe a class of stellar explosions that are both more energetic and more rapidly evolving than conventional supernovae. The word suggests an extremely intense and brief release of energy, surpassing typical core-collapse or thermonuclear events. In mainstream astronomy, supernovor is not an established category, and there are no confirmed detections of such events.

Proposed progenitors for a supernovor vary in speculative models. They commonly involve very massive, rapidly rotating stars that undergo magnetorotational explosions, or compact-object interactions such as mergers involving neutron stars or black holes in tight binaries. Some scenarios posit accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs under unusual conditions. Across these ideas, a central engine—often a nascent magnetar or accreting black hole—is invoked to inject energy efficiently into the ejecta, driving a faster, brighter explosion than seen in typical supernovae.

Predicted observational features are a combination of extreme brightness, rapid light-curve evolution, and high-velocity ejecta. Spectra may show unusually broad or unusual lines, and there could be strong high-energy emission in X-ray or gamma-ray bands. The remnants, if any survive, might differ from standard supernova remnants, potentially indicating a distinct end state such as a magnetar or black hole.

Because no confirmed examples exist, the concept remains speculative and is mostly discussed in theoretical work and fiction, rather than in established observational astronomy.