One particular violent source of bustle – and indeed a cosmic engine that drives the evolution of new stars and planets – is the supernova. A supernova happens when a particularly massive star has exhausted fuel to fuse and blows up. A star is a delicate balance between two forces: the outward energy and pressure created by nuclear fusion and the implosive tug of gravity, the result of the star’s large mass. The star will soon collapse in a brief amount of time, causing its outer shells to explode. A supernova expels large amounts of energy, radiation, and elements into the space around it.

Source: The Hindu August 08, 2023 19:26 UTC