Supernova
A supernova is the explosion of a star, which creates new elements and scatters them into space.
A supernova is an enormous stellar explosion that can briefly outshine a whole galaxy. It happens when a massive star runs out of fuel and its core collapses, or when a white dwarf in a binary system takes on too much matter and detonates.
Supernovae make and spread many elements. Their blast waves also compress clouds of gas and dust, which may help trigger new stars to form. Some scientists think a nearby supernova, or the winds of a massive star, may have added short-lived radioactive isotopes such as aluminium-26 and iron-60 to the cloud that became our Solar System. Others argue these isotopes came from the wider galactic environment or were made by the young Sun.
Some presolar grains found in primitive meteorites, including certain silicon carbide and graphite grains, have isotope ratios that show they condensed in the expanding debris of supernovae. Holding a meteorite, you may be holding atoms that were in an exploding star.
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Level: Explorer Ages 10 and up