(ORDO NEWS) — There are two terms in astronomy that are used to describe powerful stellar explosions – nova and supernova.
Despite the fact that “star” is often added to the words “new” and “supernova”, in fact, it is not the stars themselves that fall under the description, but the processes in which they take part.
Very briefly, then:
A nova is a thermonuclear explosion on the surface of a small but incredibly dense star (usually a white dwarf), which, being a companion of another star, “stole” its gas envelope for a long time.
At some point, this leads to an extremely powerful thermonuclear explosion, but both stars remain alive.
A supernova is an irreversible collapse of the core of a massive star, leading to the catastrophic destruction of the gas shell, the remnants of which scatter through outer space.
This catastrophic process is irreversible and is accompanied by the release of a gigantic amount of energy.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.