In the galaxy NGC 2146, 31 million light-years away, a stellar explosion has been identified as an electron-capture supernova – marking the first convincing evidence for this new type of explosion. The groundbreaking study is led by Daichi Hiramatsu, a graduate student at UCSB and Las Cumbres Observatory. KCSB’s Ashley Rusch speaks with Andy Howell, a staff scientist at Las Cumbres Observatory and adjunct faculty at UCSB to learn more about the importance of the discovery and implications for the astrophysics community.