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Mystery of dazzling supernova solved (BBC)
By James Morgan
Science reporter, BBC News
An exceptionally bright supernova that baffled scientists has been explained.
It is so luminous because a galaxy sitting in front amplifies {sic!} its light - making it appear 100 billion times more dazzling than our Sun.
This cosmic magnifying glass lay hidden between Earth and the supernova - and has now been detected with a telescope in Hawaii.
The discovery, reported in the journal Science, settles an important controversy in the field of astronomy.
In 2010, a team of scientists observed the supernova, PS1-10afx, shining 30 times brighter than any other in its class.
***
more: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27118405
*SIGH* -- That's focused, not amplified.
