A supernova briefly outshines thousands of stars

During its outburst, a supernova can temporarily shine brighter than thousands of ordinary stars; some even outshine their entire host galaxy. A typical supernova radiates roughly (10^{42}) joules in visible light—more than the Sun emits over millions of years. This refers specifically to radiated light: the explosion's total energy is divided among light, neutrinos, and the motion of matter, and varies by supernova type.