The Difference between a Nova and a Supernova
Posted in Education + Schooling, Science Stuff on August 6th, 2010Question: Why do some stars explode supernova while other stars have a smaller explosion called a nova? Our astronomer answers: That which differentiates the great cataclysmic burst of a supernova from the smaller nova explosion relates to the star’s initial mass prior to the explosion. A small star like our own sun does not hold enough mass to go supernova. Blue and red giant stars do contain sufficient mass to become a supernova.Antares in Scorpio and Betelgeuse and Rigel in the constellation Orion are examples of massive stars that will explode into a supernova. For example, Antares in the constellation Scorpio is so huge that if you superimposed this star onto our own solar system, it would be bigger than the full orbit of the planet Mars. Interestingly, these massive stars actually burn cooler than those smaller stars like our Sun. In determining the size of the explosion of a dying star, astronomers take into consideration the size and age of that star.
This is why our name a star program is so intriguing. You never know when a participant in the program has adopted a galaxy that hosts a star that is going to supernova. This event would be big science news! Learn more about how to name a star for yourself, a friend or a loved one at Windowpane Observatory, where astronomers are looking for novas, supernovas and asteroids headed in the direction of the Earth.