4 times the sun, it will collapse and explode. Type II supernova is the demise of a single star which is more massive then the sun. When the star begins to burn out, the core will collapse and release subatomic particles and electromagnetic radiation. This release is what causes the extreme illumination of supernova.
The majority of supernovae reach their peak, in terms of brightness, within days of the explosion. They can fade in anywhere from a few days to a few years, depending on the amount of material that they expel. The amount of matter being dealt with also helps to determine what kind of object will be left behind after the conclusion of the phenomenon. In certain instances, a neutron star will remain. A neutron star is a small, dense star, so named because it is composed of neutrons. In particularly massive stars, it is possible for a black hole to occur. This happens when the supernova explosion is so volatile, that even the neutrons can not survive. Another possibility is that no object at all will be left. .
Most stars" lives will not end in a supernova explosion. Although a supernova occurrence is about once every 3,000 years, many have exploded in our galaxy during the past 10 million years:.
Researchers estimate with considerable uncertainty, that a supernova less 25 light years away would extinguish life on earth. Without incinerating our planet, cosmic rays would damage the ozone layer and allow lethal doses of radiation to cover our planet (Asimov 210).
In 1054, astronomers in China documented a supernova so luminous that it was actually visible during daylight. A supernova also became visible in 1987 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is located in the galaxy closest to the Milky Way (Breecher). This was the first of this phenomenon to be observable in approximately 400 years. Throughout history, recorded supernovae have been survived only because they were not in close enough proximity.
