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Question
what is meant by super navae?
Hi Kunu,
A supernova is a star which explodes violently. There are two main types. In one type, a very massive star uses up its nuclear fuel, and can no longer support itself against the pull of gravity. That causes the star to suddenly collapse, and the resulting explosion increases the star's brightness by billions of times. Most of the star is blown off in the explosion. In the other type, a dwarf star is part of a double star system, and gradually attracts the atmosphere from the larger star. If the mass gets too great (more than the dwarf star can support), it also collapses and explodes. Supernova are quite rare, occurring only once per a few hundred years per galaxy.
Prof. James Gort
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Astronomy
Answers by Expert:
James Gort
Expertise
Questions on observational astronomy, optics, and astrophysics. Specializing in the evolution of stars, variable stars, supernovae, neuton stars/pulsars, black holes, quasars, and cosmology.
Experience
I was a professional astronomer (University of Texas, McDonald Observatory), lecturer at the Adler Planetarium, professor of astrophysics, and amateur astronomer for 42 years. I have made numerous telescopes, and I am currently building one of the largest private observatories in Canada.
Publications
StarDate, University of Texas, numerous Journal Publications
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