Astronomers discover new type of stellar explosion called micronova

Astronomers have discovered new types of stellar explosions called micronovae (ESO/M Kornmesser/L Calcada/PA)

A newly-discovered kind of stellar explosion could be commonplace in the universe and may change our understanding of how eruptions in stars occur, astronomers have suggested.

A micronova is a blast that lasts for just a few hours, which makes it very difficult to observe.