Some Type Ia supernovae explode through a “double-detonation” mechanism rather than just one. In this new model, the white dwarf forms a blanket of stolen helium around itself., For the first time, astronomers have obtained visual evidence that a star met its end by detonating twice. By studying the centuries-old remains of supernova SNR 0509-67.5 with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), they have found patterns that confirm its star suffered a pair of explosive blasts. Published today, this discovery shows some of the most , Astronomers uncover the first direct evidence for how some white dwarf stars explode, confirming the long-debated double-detonation mechanism behind certain Type Ia supernovae., Here, we present new evidence—a spatially resolved ‘photographic snapshot’ of a double calcium shell—showing that SNe Ia can explode via the double-detonation mechanism., Astronomers confirm the first-ever Double Detonation Supernova, revealing a white dwarf star that exploded twice in a rare and dramatic cosmic event., .