What a supernova is
A supernova is a very bright explosion of a star that can also be seen in the sky with the naked eye under certain circumstances. It takes place whenever a Star dies. Two types of supernovae are distinguished.
- Type I is a star with a mass less than that of our sun.
- An explosion often occurs when two stars get too close to each other. At a certain distance, mass is transferred from one star to another.
- This gives a star new material to burn.
- If this star has already burned out before, it will resume its nuclear fusion . This process releases so much energy that the star explodes.
- Type II is a star with a much higher mass than that of our sun.
- The luminosity of such massive stars through nuclear fusion is disproportionate to the mass.
- Once such a star has used up its hydrogen supply, it begins to burn heavy elements. He does this until he reaches the element of iron. Nuclear fusion stops there.
- If the star can no longer burn, it will collapse under its own gravity. Enormous amounts of energy are released in the process.
- This in turn leads to a very bright explosion that you can see with the naked eye from Earth.
This happens after a supernova
What happens after the supernova is also determined by the mass of the star.
- Massive stars undergo a type II supernova and then end up as neutron stars.
- Low-mass stars become black holes after a type I supernova.
- In addition, nebulae can form as remnants of the supernova. This nebula forms the breeding ground for the formation of new stars.
- Our sun was also born from a supernova. Accordingly, this phenomenon made life on earth possible in the first place.
Also interesting:
- How big is the universe? - All information at a glance
- Temperature in space - all information
- Are there explosions in space?
- Gravitation - simply explained
