Nova (star)

A nova is a star that suddenly brightens to many times the magnitude that it formerly was in a short period of time. The crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) determined that the star in orbit around Kataan went nova approximately 1,000 years previously while Captain Jean-Luc Picard was under the influence of a Kataanian probe. When the star went nova, it destroyed all life on Kataan. 

When Doctor Timicin was making experiments on Praxillus to revitalize the sun he miscalculated some variables on Praxillus went nova.