Bursting stars are a type of astronomical phenomenon that can be divided into two categories: novas and novae. Novas are stars that suddenly increase in brightness by a factor of 10, 000 or more, while novae are stars that experience a sudden increase in brightness by a factor of 100 to 10, 000. Both novas and novae are caused by the same process, which is the nuclear fusion of hydrogen on the surface of a white dwarf star.