What Makes Some Stars Explode in a Spectacular Supernova?

Imagine a star as a giant fireball that burns for millions of years. When it runs out of fuel, it can collapse in on itself, like a balloon deflating rapidly, and then explode with all the energy it stored up. Some stars do this because they're too heavy and fall apart quickly; others wait until they're joined by another star to finally blow up.

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A star is like a giant balloon that deflates when its fuel runs out, and sometimes, it explodes like a firecracker.
Some stars wait for help from another star before they finally blow up in a big burst of light.
If you could see the explosion from Earth, it might look as bright as a full moon.

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Categories: Space · supernova· stars· astronomy