Astronomy › Section Q · The death of stars › Topic Q.2
Massive stars: an explosive finish
A star that is still heavy at the end of its life cannot settle down as a white dwarf. Its core collapses in under a second, and the rebound blows the rest of the star apart in a supernova that seeds the galaxy with new elements.
In this topic
- Too heavy to fade away
- An iron core with no way out
- Collapse in under a second
- Bounce, shock and neutrinos
- Worked example: the energy of collapse
- What is left behind
- Worked example: how much is returned?
- Supernovae make and spread elements
- Supernovae and life on Earth
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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