Supernova Facts for Kids

23 Supernova Facts For Kids

1. A supernova is an enormous explosion in space caused by the death of a massive star.
2. Supernovas are one of the most powerful explosions in the known Universe.
3. A supernova is so powerful, its energy output is greater than all the energy produced by our Sun in its entire lifetime.
4. Supernovas are extremely bright and at their peak output can be as bright as an entire galaxy for a few days.
5. A supernova explosion occurs during the last stages of a massive star’s stellar evolution.
6. Supernova nucleosynthesis occurs during a supernova explosion, which is the creation of chemical elements.
7. Supernova nucleosynthesis is how some chemical elements are created and spread throughout the Universe.
8. The matter ejected by a supernova can reach speeds between up to 90 million miles per hour.
9. The after math of a supernova explosion is known as a supernova remnant and can be quite beautiful.
10. After a massive star goes supernova, it is either destroyed or collapses into a black hole or a neutron star.
11. Supernova explosions are a rare phenomenon, with only two or three in our Milky Way galaxy every century.
12. The last supernova that could be directly observed by humans was Kepler's Supernova (SN 1604) in 1604.
13. Kepler’s Supernova was so bright, it was visible during the day with the naked eye for three weeks.
14. Astronomers can observe a few hundred supernovas outside the Milky Way galaxy every year with existing technology.
15. There are between 100 and 200 billion galaxies in the known Universe, which means every 5 to 10 seconds there is a supernova explosion.
16. The earliest observation of a supernova could have been Supernova HB9 around 4500 BCE.
17. One of the most famous nebulas is the Crab Nebula, which is the remnants of the SN 1054 supernova.
18. The next two stars in the Milky Way galaxy to go supernova are believed to be Antares or Betelgeuse.
19. A supernova that occurs or could occur with 30 to 33 light-years to Earth is known as a near-Earth supernova.
20. A near-Earth supernova would affect life on Earth, with the severity depending on the type of supernova.
21. The Late Ordovician mass extinction event (LOME) that occurred 443 million years ago may have been caused by a supernova.
22. Astronomers have classified six stars within 30 to 33 light-years to be near-Earth supernova candidates.
23. The SuperNova Early Warning System (SNEWS) is used by astronomers to detect a supernova in our galaxy or nearby galaxies using a network of neutrino detectors.

Supernova Pictures

Pictures are one of the best ways for people to learning about something. That is why we are providing you with the below images to help you with your research on supernovas. Below you will find three pictures that represent supernovas. These pictures should help you better understand supernovas and what they look like.

A picture of a star exploding into a supernova.

A picture of a supernova star explosion.

A picture of a nebula created by supernova explosion.