What is supernova?

[James Wright]

I just finished watching Star Trek XI, it's actually a good movie but I have a question about the destruction of Romulus & Remus. From the limited reading and the movie it's said that these 2 planets were destroyed by a supernova!? I always thought a supernova formed after a star reached the red giant phase. Seeing the star destroy Romulus & Remus it looked like the star was still yellow but expanding rapidly.
Can anyone that knows the answer explain what a supernova is and the fate of the sun and earth?
Thanks,

James

 

[Ronald Held]

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=108833
for the Trek Tech discussion.

 

[James Wright]

I'd already read that thread, what I need help with is, does a supernova form after a star red giant phase and collapses again?
How would a yellow star expand without becoming a red giant?

James

 

[Christopher]

The supernova in the ST movie bears little relation to a real supernova. Read about the real thing here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernova

In short, supernovae happen to stars much bigger than the Sun, usually blue or white supergiants. They are usually preceded by a red giant phase, but the people who made the movie took poetic license.

 

[Myasishchev]

Booster Gold.

 

[Jeri]

You might be interested in this discussion of a "hypernova" at the NASA website.

 

[shadowedgalaxy]

What is supernova?
Baby don't kill me, don't kill me, no more

 

[All Seeing Eye]

I just finished watching Star Trek XI, it's actually a good movie but I have a question about the destruction of Romulus & Remus. From the limited reading and the movie it's said that these 2 planets were destroyed by a supernova!? I always thought a supernova formed after a star reached the red giant phase. Seeing the star destroy Romulus & Remus it looked like the star was still yellow but expanding rapidly.
Can anyone that knows the answer explain what a supernova is and the fate of the sun and earth?
Thanks,

James

The Hobus Star in TrekXI was a 'special' star and to learn why it went supernova feel free to read the countdown comics.

 

[Christopher]

^Or don't. The depiction of the supernova in Countdown is even more scientifically incoherent than the depiction in the movie. For instance, claiming Hobus was one of the oldest stars in the universe. Supernovae happen to stars that are extremely large and hot and therefore extremely short-lived. And they don't "accelerate" when they're already in progress.

 

[Ronald Held]

Well, Christopher is correct on that but the movie does not win any awards for Scientific correctness, even by Trek standards.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Shame on you, making fun of "special" stars. Boo-hoo!