How does a supernova differ from our sun?

A supernova denotes the end of a massive star's life, roughly two to three times that of our Sun.

A star similar to our Sun will reorganize and shed its outer layers to form a nebula once it has burned all of the hydrogen in it to helium.

When a star burns through all of its hydrogen, it will reorganize and collapse on its core in a violent supernova explosion. This star is roughly two to three times the mass of our Sun.

The sun is a stable, main-sequence star; a supernova is a massive explosion that happens at the end of a star's life cycle; supernovae can outshine entire galaxies and release enormous amounts of energy, while the sun releases energy steadily through nuclear fusion; supernovae can also leave behind dense remnants like neutron stars or black holes, while the sun eventually transforms into a white dwarf.