Astronomy/Type Ia Supernovae

For 2012, the Astronomy event will focus on stellar evolution and type Ia supernovae.

Supernovae
A supernova is, in short, the explosion of a star. This term can apply to several different types of explosions, though, and so, like many other astronomical terms, there are classifications. Type Ia supernovae are explosions of white dwarves in binary systems that pull mass off of their partner and accumulate enough pressure for a supernova. All type Ia supernovae emit the same amount of energy, making them a good tool to determine galaxy distances. Type Ib and Ic supernovae are formed when a large star is stripped of its outer hydrogen layers. The Type I supernovae are generally associated with binary systems. Type II supernovae are explosions of supergiant stars that occur when the star fuses iron in its core. Some Type II supernovae are hypernovae, occuring in hypergiants, even larger and brighter than regular supergiants.