Astronomy Stack Exchange
Astronomy Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [supernova]

Questions regarding stars which increase suddenly in energy output due to an explosion which ejected much of its mass.

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How often do Type Ia supernovae occur?

Type Ia supernova are used as standard candles. But they also are transient events. This means that to determine the distance of a galaxy using supernovae, you have to wait for one to occur. How often do type Ia supernovae typically occur in a…
usernumber
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Near-Earth supernova

There are 51 stars within 17 light years of the Earth (source). If one of these stars was to become a supernova, how would they effect the Earth?
Larian LeQuella
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How quickly does a supernova heat up/expand?

Suppose there's a star out there that's a lot more massive than the Sun. Suppose further that orbiting this star is a planet not unlike Earth. Water, oxygen, civilization, and all. Now the star decides to go supernova. How quick, or slow, is the…
Ricky
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In what timeframe is W26 expected to go supernova?

All the news-articles say that it is expected to "eventually" explode. Which doesn't really tell me much. When is "eventually"? Also, considering this is the largest star in the known universe and 16k light-years away, will this be visible? Will it…
yippy_yay
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How often are supernovas visible by the naked eye from Earth?

I heard about the 1054 supernova that was visible with the naked eye. Of course, these events happen at random. But just like with radioactive decay, it must be possible to determine statistics on these kinds of events. Wikipedia says The total…
usernumber
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Is a kilonova bigger than a supernova?

My question is straight forward. Is a kilonova bigger than a supernova? Update How does a kilonova differ from a nova in terms of... luminosity duration energy volume of space occupied by the ejecta speed of the ejecta other metrics?
daveloyall
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Why do pair production and photodisintegration have such different effects in collapsing supermassive stars?

Stars of at least 100 solar masses or so can reach core temperatures (and, thus, core photon energies) great enough that pair production (where a very-high-energy photon strikes another particle, transforming the photon into a matched…
Vikki
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What does the word "shock cooling" mean in supernova physics?

I cannot understand the meaning of "shock cooling" which occurred in supernova. And I saw the sentence like "Early photometry and spectroscopy reveal evidence of shock cooling of an extended helium-rich envelope". Could you explain the mechanism of…
cosmozaka46
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Why is there a Phillips relation?

I want to know the explanation of Phillips relation, the relation seen in type Ia supernovae(SN Ia with broader light curve is brighter). More Ni-56 implies a larger luminosity at peak but what about broader light curve?
cosmozaka46
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Supernova in Hertzsprung–Russell diagram

If you could put a supernova in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram. Where would it be? Would it be near the white dwarfs or near the super giants? I know that a supernova isn't a star but rather the explosion of a star, but if you technically could.…
Christos Karapasias
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How do supernova explosions reconcile with light speed constraints?

I have learned about the various types of supernovae, and both Types Ib and II involve the extremely rapid compaction or explosion of a star's core. How does the "information" that (respectively) the Chandrasekhar limit or the degeneracy pressure…
Dunaril
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Nature of Supernova Ejecta: Solid Chunks vs. Gas/Dust?

When a supernova explodes, does it eject chunks of solid material in the form of asteroids (of any size) or is it all just dust and gas that later clumps together into bigger solid objects? Or is all the material completely atomized such that the…
Wyck
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Supposed SN 1006 was only 4 lightyears away what would the blasts impact be like on earth?

One of the commenters on my answer to https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/a/86733/3460 questions that the blast would even have a noticeable impact if that supernova was in Alpha Centauri. And since my answer is just based on my intuition, I…
Zaibis
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How are shockwaves in a star that cause supernova created

I know that during the collapsing of a star 8 times the mass of the Sun at the end of its life, a shockwave is generated that blows the star up. However, I do not understand how it is exactly generated. I would appreciate an answer.
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What record do we have of the length of supernovas?

recently I heard an astronomer on the radio claim that the supernova we have observed in our own galaxy lasted about 6 months, while in distant galaxies they last about 7-8 months, due to relativity and the expanding universe. He didn't give any…
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