Britannica Sources used in this answer

What type of supernova was Tycho’s Nova?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Painting of Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe wearing a black robe with a white ruffled collar and a gold chain necklace with a large pendant. — Tycho Brahe Tycho Brahe.

Tycho’s Nova, which was observed by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in 1572, has been identified as a Type Ia supernova.

This type of explosion occurs in a binary star system when a white dwarf star accretes enough material from a companion star to trigger a thermonuclear reaction, ultimately resulting in the complete destruction of the white dwarf.1