SUPERNOVA EXPLOSION – End of a High Mass Star
How Life of a High Mass Star Ends?
A Supernova Explosion
In my previous posts on Life Span of Stars we discussed the journey of a Star from the part of a Nebula then becoming a Proto-Star, then turning into a Main-Sequence-Star.
After the Main-Sequence phase, the next phase depends upon the original mass of the star. There are two ways, stars can enter into the next phase based on their masses;
- If the mass of the Star is low (Stars with the mass equal to 0.08mass of Sun to 8masses of Sun are known as low mass stars), then the Star enters the next phase which is called The Red Giant Phase. After Red Giant Phase the star puffs off its outer gases into the space and the highly compressed core left which is named as the White Dwarf.
- If the original mass of the star is more than 8 Solar Masses then the next phase is known as Red Supergiant Phase. Red Supergiant Stars are the largest known stars (but not massive). They are very similar to Red Giants but larger in size.
Betelgeuse is the Red Supergiant Star held in the constellation Orion. It will explode as a Supernova in the future.
Why such a humongous explosion happens in Red Supergiant Stars?
Well, due to larger size of the star once all the Hydrogen is used up in the core then all left in the core is Helium. Due to very high mass of the core, it starts to collapse very fast due to gravity and fusion of Helium into Carbon starts rapidly. The reaction is known as triple alpha reaction.
But due to the large size again, the Gravity is still compressing the core and Carbon Starts to Fuse into Oxygen. Fusion of lighter elements into heavier elements keep going until it reaches the Fusion of Silicon into Iron.
As the fusion goes higher it gets faster and faster. For example a Star with a mass of 20 Suns can fuse its Carbon into Oxygen in about 10,000 years but it can fuse all its Silicon into Iron in days and Iron Core only lasts a few hours and you know what happens next!! A huge explosion we name Supernova Explosion.
This explosion is extremely luminous in order of Billions times more luminous than our Sun. Once Supernova explosion happens it is one time event, there is nothing remaining, no star no core, all left is an expanding cloud of gases we name it as A Nebula.
What? A Nebula? Didn’t we hear this name before? Did we?
Yes, all stars start their journey from the part of a Nebula and many massive stars end their journey with Supernova Explosion giving birth to a new Nebula, which is a fertile ground for new stars to take birth.
Yes, a nebula named Crab Nebula is result of a Supernova explosion happened in the year 1054.
Yes, all the elements other than hydrogen and helium are formed in Stars. Hence I can say that my body is part of a Star, went through all the stages of a star life.
Following are the links to previous posts on Story of a Star:
https://steemit.com/science/@mathworksheets/story-of-a-star-in-the-womb-of-a-nebula
https://steemit.com/science/@mathworksheets/a-star-story-forming-the-protostar
https://steemit.com/science/@mathworksheets/story-of-a-star-a-brown-dwarf
https://steemit.com/science/@mathworksheets/fate-of-our-sun-story-of-a-star-continues
https://steemit.com/science/@mathworksheets/our-sun-from-red-giant-phase-to-a-white-dwarf
That's all from me on life cycle of a star, folks. Will come back with some more interesting cosmology topics.
To me understanding more about the stars and processes that formed them and the planets really puts a different light on who we are. It has been such an incredible process and length of time to go through to get to where we are now. Thanks for sharing, you have a very good way of explaining these things.
Yes dear brother, an estimate is that the universe we live in began about 14.5 billion years back. Stunning!! Whole creation might have went through countless booms and busts.
It is such a fascinating field of study, I'm sure we have so much left to learn. In space we could build really large telescopes and learn much more about the planets and stars that we see.
Yes, I think if the humanity stop to fight with each other, avoid wars and stop spending wealth and resources on deadly weapons and start to explore space instead, can do miracles!!
Most fascinating thing @mathworksheets, is that all of celestial spectacle is conforming to the laws of math!
Yes my friend, laws of math are honored by all over the cosmos. Other day I was studying that once the universe got transparent about 14.5 billions years ago, it might have expanded at the rate even faster than the speed of light. If this theory is correct then that time it has follow no rule at all, neither mathematical nor physics!! It is stunning.
Amazing how the cycle of life of a star had been studied and it quite well make sense on how some of the system in the universe works. But the more we study it the more questions arise then a deeper than spiritual theories are made by some scientists that don't believe in God.
Thank you very much @cryptopie, for the excellent feedback. I don't know much about the other religions, have some knowledge of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. Hinduism goes very deep into the explanations about the cosmos and modern science is far behind than what is explained in ancient Vedas, Upanishads.
I have quite a bit knowledge about Sikhism, according to which God is not a person but the "CREATIVE ENERGY" "Super Conscious" "Pervading in Each and Every Particle of the Universe" "Level of Conciousness is highest in Humans, A stage of Same Particles but so aware that Can find the Creator Inside Self". I studied Science at University level, it explores only The Creation, but as per my knowledge Sikh Religion ask humans to find The Creator inside ourselves. One explore what has "form, Shape, Color or odor but infinite", other explore "formless, shapeless, colorless and odorless and infinite".
It's really the show time my friend. Thanks for all your support:))
So much is happening in he huge universe and we mere humans are still proud of small things we have achieved.
Every time I think about cosmos and size of our Sun and my own size, I get rid of all my ego righaway. I think cosmos teach us to be humble!
Love this post
Thank you very much @nadyahusna.
So let me get this straight. Love is not like oxygen. It is like iron?
Again you nailed it dear brother. Love is like Iron and more precious than diamonds!!
This is a really good post and very interesting!
....upvoted followed and resteemed.
Thank you very much @acwood. I appreciate your kind remarks and support :))
I am truly amazed by the universe.....Thank you for sharing.
It wonders me all the time. The cosmos are amazing my dear @sashin. Thanks for your comment :))
Wow. All your posts are so interesting. Thank you for sharing this with us, me in particular. It can come in handy one day.
Thank you @bdmomuae, for the appreciation and the nice comment:))