Difference between revisions of "Supernova Catalog"

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(Created page with "Supernovae are more energetic than a nova. ''Nova'' means "new" in Latin, referring to what appears to be a very bright new star shining in t...")
 
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Supernovae are more [[Energy|energetic]] than a [[nova]]. ''Nova'' means "new" in [[Latin language|Latin]], referring to what appears to be a very bright new star shining in the [[celestial sphere]]; the prefix "super-" distinguishes supernovae from ordinary novae which are far less luminous. The word ''supernova'' was coined by [[Walter Baade]] and [[Fritz Zwicky]] in 1931.<ref name=baas33_1330/> It is pronounced {{IPAc-en||ˌ|s|uː|p|ə|ˈ|n|oʊ|v|ə}} with the plural '''''supernovae''''' {{IPAc-en|ˌ|s|uː|p|ə|ˈ|n|oʊ|v|iː}} or '''''supernovas''''' (abbreviated '''''SN''''', plural '''''SNe''''' after "supernovae").
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A '''supernova''' is a stellar explosion caused when the mass of a star's core exceeds the sustainable limit or when nuclear fusion produces more energy than the star can contain.  The explosion emits massive amounts of energy.  Supernovae are classified as cataclysmic variables, the majority of which are close binary systemsSupernovae show sudden, dramatic, and final magnitude increases of 20 magnitudes or more, compared to a regular nova, which typically brighten 7 to 16 magnitudes of the course of 1 to several hundred days.  
 
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Supernovae can be triggered in one of two ways: by the sudden reignition of [[nuclear fusion]] in a [[Compact star|degenerate star]]; or by the [[gravitational collapse]] of the core of a massive starA degenerate [[white dwarf]] may accumulate sufficient material from a [[Binary star|companion]], either through [[Accretion (astrophysics)|accretion]] or via a merger, to raise its core temperature, [[Carbon detonation|ignite]] [[Carbon burning process|carbon fusion]], and trigger [[Thermal runaway|runaway]] nuclear fusion, completely disrupting the star. The core of a [[stellar evolution#Massive stars|massive star]] may undergo sudden [[gravitational collapse]], releasing [[gravitational potential energy]] that can create a supernova explosion.
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Although no supernova has been observed in the [[Milky Way]] since Kepler's Star of 1604 ([[SN 1604]]), supernova remnants indicate that on average the event occurs about three times every century in the Milky Way.
 
Although no supernova has been observed in the [[Milky Way]] since Kepler's Star of 1604 ([[SN 1604]]), supernova remnants indicate that on average the event occurs about three times every century in the Milky Way.

Revision as of 12:37, 18 May 2014

A supernova is a stellar explosion caused when the mass of a star's core exceeds the sustainable limit or when nuclear fusion produces more energy than the star can contain. The explosion emits massive amounts of energy. Supernovae are classified as cataclysmic variables, the majority of which are close binary systems. Supernovae show sudden, dramatic, and final magnitude increases of 20 magnitudes or more, compared to a regular nova, which typically brighten 7 to 16 magnitudes of the course of 1 to several hundred days.

Although no supernova has been observed in the Milky Way since Kepler's Star of 1604 (SN 1604), supernova remnants indicate that on average the event occurs about three times every century in the Milky Way.