How do you get a supernova?
One type of supernova is caused by the “last hurrah” of a dying massive star. This happens when a star at least five times the mass of our sun goes out with a fantastic bang! Massive stars burn huge amounts of nuclear fuel at their cores, or centers. This produces tons of energy, so the center gets very hot. A supernova typically lasts for several weeks to a few months. The initial explosion occurs within seconds, but the afterglow and energy release can be observed for an extended period as the ejected material expands and interacts with the surrounding environment.Today, astronomers distinguish two types of supernova: those involving white dwarfs, and those that are the explosions of very massive stars. Both types are responsible for creating and spreading new elements through space, which are the chemical building blocks for the next generation of stars and planets.Supernovae are dramatic explosions that take place during the final stages of the death of a supermassive star. Most stages of astronomical evolution happen over timescales far longer than a human lifetime, and even far longer than humanity’s entire history. Supernova explosions are spectacular exceptions to that rule.When the pressure drops low enough in a massive star, gravity suddenly takes over and the star collapses in just seconds. This collapse produces the explosion we call a supernova.