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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 8, 1993                   TAG: 9304080110
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: BERKELEY, CALIF.                                LENGTH: Short

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SUPERNOVA CAPTURES ASTRONOMERS' FOCUS

Astronomers trained their telescopes on a supernova blazing in the skies this week, hoping the star's fiery death will be the genesis of new clues to the universe.

The exploding star, about 11 million light years from Earth, is the brightest to appear in the Northern Hemisphere in decades, giving scientists a rare glimpse at the inner workings of the cosmos.

Supernovas are exploding stars that scientists believe are the source of many elements found in the universe, including oxygen. They also produce large shock waves that some scientists believe are involved in the forming of stars.

- Associated Press

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