A star that becomes a supernova is typically a massive star, with a mass several times greater than that of our Sun.
When a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel, it undergoes a catastrophic explosion known as a supernova. This explosion releases enormous energy, causing the star to become extremely bright and ejecting its outer layers into space.
There are two main types of stars that can become supernovae:
1. Type II Supernova: This type of supernova occurs when a massive star, typically with a mass greater than 8 times that of our Sun, reaches the end of its life cycle. As the star's core runs out of nuclear fuel, it collapses under its own gravity. This collapse triggers a massive explosion that releases a tremendous amount of energy, resulting in a Type II supernova.
2. Type Ia Supernova: This type of supernova occurs in a binary star system, where two stars orbit each other. In a Type Ia supernova, one of the stars in the binary system is a white dwarf, which is a dense remnant of a low to medium-mass star. When the white dwarf accretes matter from its companion star or merges with another white dwarf, it can reach a critical mass known as the Chandrasekhar limit. At this point, the white dwarf undergoes a thermonuclear explosion, resulting in a Type Ia supernova.
Both types of supernovae are incredibly energetic events that play a crucial role in the life cycle of stars and the distribution of elements throughout the universe.