For the first time, scientists determined the shape of a supernova's shock front as it burst through the surface of a dying star. Spotted erupting exceptionally early in April 2024 from 23.6 million light-years away, supernova SN 2024ggi briefly displayed an ovoid, olive-like shape before its shock front collided with surrounding material – an observation that fills in some of the blanks about the very earliest stages of supernova evolution. These details would not have been evident if the