White dwarfs are small, dead stars with a dangerous side, capable of exploding into supernovas and destroying planets; new research suggests these mysterious phenomena may be the key to understanding the universe itself.

Our galaxy is full of stars ready to explode into supernovas, a stellar detonation powerful enough to destroy all life on Earth; it's an event that hasn't occurred in 400 years, and the search is on to locate which star may be next.