DEM L71: When Small Stars Explode . ... CXC , NASA Explanation: Large, massive stars end their furious lives in spectacular supernova explosions -- but small, low mass stars may encounter a similar fate. ... Based on the Chandra data, estimates for the composition and total mass of expanding gas strongly suggest that this is all that remains of a white dwarf star. Light from this small star's self-destructive explosion would have first reached Earth several thousand years ago. ...