Giant Death Star

Giant star death Key words black hole core neutron star nuclear fusion red supergiant

star supernova

Mature star

Giant stars ● The

most massive stars undergo the same stages of evolution as large stars. ● No star is thought to be large enough to enable the sustained nuclear fusion of iron to occur in its core. ● Giant stars are eventually torn apart in supernova explosions.

Red supergiant

Supernova ● At

the point where no more fusion reactions are possible the core of a red supergiant undergoes a very rapid gravitational collapse. ● The core collapses to a diameter of about six miles (10 km) in a fraction of a second. ● Material from the outer envelope collapses more slowly and is thought to rebound from the collapsed core. ● This rebound is incredibly energetic and causes the envelope to be ripped apart and ejected in a supernova. ● A supernova may release more energy in a second than the Sun will produce in its entire 10 billion-year life span. ● The surviving core may be a neutron star or, if it is more massive, may collapse further to become a black hole.

Type II supernova

Supernova seeding

© Diagram Visual Information Ltd.

● Only

massive stars form relatively heavy elements such as oxygen, silicon, and iron through the fusion of lighter, more abundant elements. ● When a supernova occurs, these heavy elements are ejected into interstellar space at high speeds. ● Planets such as Earth, and the living things that exist on it, are partly made up of these heavy elements. ● Without red supergiant fusion and the subsequent seeding of its fusion products, rocky planets and life may not be possible.

Black hole