What Makes Some Stars Explode, and Others Just Fade Away?

Stars are like giant, burning balloons, they burn for a long time, but when their fuel runs out, some of them explode in a huge, bright flash called a supernova, while others just slowly fade away. The difference depends on how heavy the star is and what it's made of.

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A star like the Sun will slowly become smaller and dimmer, just like a candle burning down.
A heavy star might explode with such force it can be seen across the galaxy, like fireworks on a cosmic scale.
If you're close enough, you could even feel the heat from a nearby supernova explosion.

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Categories: Space · stars· supernovas· stellar evolution