“A 'hypernova' is a supernova (exploding star), but, like, more so. (It’s defined as being any supernova that’s at least 10 times as luminous as usual.)”— Katie Mack, twitter.com
“A 'cataclysmic variable' is where a compact dense white dwarf star is in a binary orbit with a bigger puffier star & the WD (white dwarf) rips material off its companion & that material detonates on the WD’s surface.”— Katie Mack, twitter.com
“'Violent relaxation' comes from highly technical uses of both those terms. “Relaxation” referring to a system (eg, stars in a cluster) achieving some equilibrium (steady) state, and “violent” meaning rapid. It can happen when mass comes together quickly gravitationally.”— Katie Mack, twitter.com
“'Spaghettification'” is what happens to you when you fall into a black hole feet first (for instance) and the gravity is so much stronger on your feet than your head that you’re stretched out to some kind of spaghetti-like carnage-shape.”— Katie Mack, twitter.com