Top Document: [sci.astro] Solar System (Astronomy Frequently Asked Questions) (5/9) Previous Document: E.06 What happens to the planets when the Sun dies? Next Document: E.08 How are solar system objects and features named? See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge The short answer is no; the detailed answer depends entirely on what is meant by "explode." The Sun doesn't have anything like enough mass to form a Type 2 supernova (whose progenitors are supergiants), which require more than about 8 solar masses; thus the Sun will not become a supernova on its own. "Novae" arise from an accumulation of gases on a collapsed object, such as a white dwarf or a neutron star. The gas comes from a nearby companion (usually a distended giant). Although nova explosions are large by human standards, they are not nearly powerful enough to destroy the star involved; indeed, most novae are thought to explode repeatedly on time scales of years to millenia. Since the Sun is not a collapsed object, nor does it have a companion---let alone a collapsed one---the Sun cannot go (or even be involved in) a nova. Under conditions not well understood, the accumulation of gases on a collapsed object may produce a Type 1 supernova instead of an ordinary nova. This is similar in principle to a nova explosion but much larger; the star involved is thought to be completely destroyed. The Sun will not be involved in this type of explosion for the same reasons it will not become a nova. When the Sun evolves from a red giant to a white dwarf, it will shed its atmosphere and form a planetary nebula; but this emission could not really be considered an explosion. User Contributions:Top Document: [sci.astro] Solar System (Astronomy Frequently Asked Questions) (5/9) Previous Document: E.06 What happens to the planets when the Sun dies? Next Document: E.08 How are solar system objects and features named? Part0 - Part1 - Part2 - Part3 - Part4 - Part5 - Part6 - Part7 - Part8 - Single Page [ Usenet FAQs | Web FAQs | Documents | RFC Index ] Send corrections/additions to the FAQ Maintainer: jlazio@patriot.net
Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:11 PM
|
Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: