A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion that occurs at the end of a star's life cycle. This event can happen in two ways: a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel, leading to a core collapse, or a white dwarf in a binary system accumulates material from its companion star until it reaches a critical mass and explodes. Supernovae play a crucial role in enriching the interstellar medium with heavy elements and can outshine entire galaxies for a brief period.