10.5bn yr old exploded star

SCIENTISTS have discovered a supernova which happened 10.5 billion years ago – the oldest detected.

The huge cosmic blast occurred 3.3 billion years after the Big Bang, which formed the universe 13.8 billion years ago.

Named DES16C2nm, it was identified by the Dark Energy Survey – an international collaboration.

A team led by Southampton University said it was a “superluminous supernova” – the brightest and rarest type, caused when a huge star explodes.