Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, a giant star exploded in a flash of light so blinding the scene of destruction can still be seen here on Planet Earth.

An amateur astronomer with an eye for exploding stars in the night sky has celebrated the latest celestial discovery from his back garden with a cup of tea.

An amateur astronomer has said he got the shock of his life when he made Ireland’s second discovery of a supernova in less than two years.