Astronomers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have identified a previously unseen kind of stellar explosion, designated SN 2023zkd, located about 730 million light-years away. First spotted by the Zwicky Transient Facility in July 2023, the event was later singled out by the Light-curve Anomaly Identification and Similarity Search (LAISS) algorithm—software that scans incoming data for unusual patterns in real time. Early AI flagging enabled dozens of ground- and space-based telescopes to secure continuous observations. Those data revealed an atypical double-peaked light curve and strong helium-rich, Type IIn spectral signatures, along with evidence that the star had brightened gradually for more than four years before detonating. Researchers conclude the blast was triggered when a massive star interacted catastrophically with a black-hole companion, either transferring material to the black hole or being partially torn apart by it. The findings, published in the Astrophysical Journal, expand understanding of how binary systems can end stellar lives and underscore the increasing role of machine-learning tools in capturing short-lived cosmic phenomena.