Know about the various historical supernovae - GRB 111209A, V838 Monocerotis, N 63A, and SN 1006

So what do stars look like when they go supernova? GRB 111209A was a red supergiant that exploded on the 9th of December, 2011, producing high energy gamma ray emissions. A single supernova can be bright enough to outshine a galaxy. But they only shine so brightly for a few days or weeks before fading away.

Unlike a normal supernova, V838 Monocerotis grew enormously in size instead of expelling its outer layers. Afterwards, supernova leave spectacular remnants. The shockwaves from the explosion of N 63A are still destroying the surrounding gas clouds. It's estimated that the remnant is around 2,000 to 5,000 years old.

And finally, SN 1006. This is possibly the brightest supernova in human history. Even though it was 7,200 light years away, it was clearly seen on Earth in 1006 AD and was 10 times brighter than Venus.