Candidates for a Hypernova . ... Dubbed hypernovae , these explosions might result from high-mass stars and liberate perhaps ten times more energy than conventional supernovae . A hypernova was originally postulated to explain the great amount of energy seemingly liberated in a gamma-ray burst . ... Nearby spiral galaxy M101 , shown on the right, has two large expanding shells that might have originated from a hypernova. ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...