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Supernova Remnant
General Information
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Only stars that are very massive become supernovae.
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As a massive star begins to die, it expands to become a red supergiant.
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Within the core of the star, heavier and heavier elements are created, up to iron, the final element that can be created in stars.
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Eventually, the star cannot produce its own energy anymore, and the core collapses.
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Material falling inwards rebounds, and the star explodes.
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The outer layers of the star are pushed away at very high speeds. This rapidly expanding and slowly fading shell of gas is what is seen as the supernova remnant.
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The core of the star is left, and it collapses under its own gravity. Depending on the original mass of the star, its core will either become a neutron star or a black hole.
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Supernovae are one of the most violent events in the universe. One supernova explosion is about the same as an explosion of 1028 megatons of TNT. Put another way, take 1 trillion times the mass of the Earth of TNT and explode it.
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Every element found in nature, except for hydrogen and helium, is made in either stars or supernovae explosions. Supernovae spread these heavy elements throughout space, providing material for the next generation of stars.
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Supernovae can also send shockwaves through space. If these shockwaves encounter clouds of gas, star formation might begin.
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References
| Item | Updated | Notes |
| additional info from | 2017-05-04 | http://messier.seds.org/snr.html |