What is the name of the explosion that occurs when a massive star collapses, ejecting its outer layers into space?

The phenomenon described involves a massive star reaching the end of its life cycle. When such a star exhausts its nuclear fuel, it can no longer support its own gravity, leading to a collapse of its core. The outer layers are then ejected with an immense amount of energy, resulting in one of the most powerful explosions in the universe known as a supernova. This process not only gives birth to new cosmic materials but also plays a key role in enriching the interstellar medium with heavier elements formed during the star's lifecycle.

In contrast, a nova refers to a moderate explosion that occurs on the surface of a white dwarf star in a binary system, while a hypernova is a more energetic and extremely rare supernova associated with hyper-massive stars. A black hole, on the other hand, is a region in space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it, and it is typically formed from the remnants of a supernova explosion.