Born in Athens, Economou first came to America to attend MIT, where he received two masters of science, one in naval architecture and marine engineering, another in shipping and shipbuilding management.

FORBES: Curious George

"It takes thousands of years for supernova remnants to evolve, but with this nova we've watched the same kinds of changes over just a few days, " said Kent Wood, a co-author on the Science study from the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.

BBC: Gamma rays from nova explosion surprise astronomers

Born in 1953 in the southern state of Virginia, Gen Allen graduated with military honours from the US Naval Academy in 1976, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Analysis.

BBC: Gen John R. Allen

Its successful rifle-shooting program, which dates from 1935, pits some two-dozen science students against the likes of West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy.

WSJ: Young Scientists Take Aim