What force causes stars to explode?

A star’s life is a constant struggle against the force of gravity. Gravity constantly works to try and cause the star to collapse. The star’s core, however is very hot which creates pressure within the gas. This pressure counteracts the force of gravity, putting the star into what is called hydrostatic equilibrium.

Why do the cores of some stars collapse and explode?

Having too much matter causes the star to explode, resulting in a supernova. As the star runs out of nuclear fuel, some of its mass flows into its core. Eventually, the core is so heavy that it cannot withstand its own gravitational force. The core collapses, which results in the giant explosion of a supernova.

Why does a star explode after collapsing?

Such stars explode when they use up their nuclear fuel and collapse. Stars weighing more than about eight times the Sun’s mass burn through their hydrogen fuel quickly, but as a massive star runs low on one fuel, it taps into another. To compensate for the energy loss, the core burns its nuclear fuel even faster.

What happens to a star when it explodes?

CAITY: So the core of a star collapses when the rest of it is exploding outward. So that core will continue to collapse under its own gravity and it can form one of two objects. It can become something called a neutron star or it can form into a black hole.

Where does a star go when it dies?

When the helium fuel runs out, the core will expand and cool. The upper layers will expand and eject material that will collect around the dying star to form a planetary nebula. Finally, the core will cool into a white dwarf and then eventually into a black dwarf. This entire process will take a few billion years.

Could the Sun become a black hole?

Will the Sun become a black hole? No, it’s too small for that! The Sun would need to be about 20 times more massive to end its life as a black hole. In some 6 billion years it will end up as a white dwarf — a small, dense remnant of a star that glows from leftover heat.