August 3, 2010
What’s the Difference between a Nova and a Supernova?
A recent question: Why do some stars explode into a supernova and other stars have a smaller explosion called a nova? Astronomer Bill answers: That which creates the bigger annihilating burst of a supernova from the smaller nova explosion has to do with the original mass of that star before the explosion. A G-class star like our Sun isn’t massive enough to supernova. Bigger stars do contain sufficient mass to explode as a supernova. The star Antares is so enormous that if you superimposed it on our own solar system, Antares would be bigger than the whole orbit of the planet Mars. These massive stars actually burn cooler than those smaller stars like the Sun. So in determining the type of the explosion of a dying star, astrophysicists take into consideration the age and size of the star in order to reasonably predict when and how the star will explode. This is why our name a star program is so exciting. You never know when a participant in the program has adopted a galaxy that hosts a star that goes supernova. This event would be front page astronomical news!
Learn more about how to name a star for yourself, a friend or a loved one at Windowpane Observatory, where astronomers are searching for novas, supernovas and earth-crossing asteroids.
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