What is a supernova? Fascinating NASA facts you need to know

Photo Credit: NASA

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Supernovas are the biggest and brightest explosions ever seen by humans.

Some supernovas happen when a huge star, five times bigger than our Sun, runs out of fuel.

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Stars burn fuel at their core, creating heat and pressure that push outward against gravity.

A star stays stable because pressure pushes out while gravity pulls in.

When the star runs out of fuel, pressure drops, gravity takes over, and the star collapses.

Supernovas can also happen in star pairs where one star is a white dwarf.

Supernovas are so bright that they can shine more than galaxies for days or months.

Only two or three supernovas happen each century in a galaxy like ours.

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