Radioactive cobalt detected during a supernova explosion by international researchers that questions the prevailing theory about exploding supernovas.

The Integral Gamma-Ray Orbital Telescope detected radioactive cobalt isotopes that have a half-life of 77 days and that can't exist in normal conditions.

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Russian astrophysicists said there were enormous quantities of cobalt isotopes released during a thermonuclear supernova exposition in Supernova SN2014J, which is 11 million light years from Earth,.

Astrophysicists said they've never seen such a close-range spectrum before such a short distance from Earth.

They argue these kinds of supernovae only occur once every few centuries. The last recorded supernova explosion was observed in 1606 in our Milky Way galaxy.

Earlier theories said that during a supernova, the star barely radiates gamma energy during the first few days.

When the outer layer of the star becomes powerful enough, the supernova starts producing more gamma radiation.

Radioactive nickel, which has a life of 10 days, synthesizes during the explosion and transforms into radioactive cobalt.

The radioactive cobalt releases a surplus of energy as it continuously forms while other isotopes produce different energies.

Using the integral telescope, an operational space telescope used for observing gamma rays, the Russians found out a radioactive explosion emits 60 percent more gamma radiation than the Sun.

Astrophysicists believe the result of the supernova explosion can confirm that matter from Earth underwent thermonuclear explosions.

The information came from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.