images

Death of a blue giant star - Artist view

by

Illustration Grégoire Cirade/Novapix

Reference

a-snv99-00013

Date

2009-07-15

This image shows steps in a celestial cataclysm. After several millions years, a blue giant star (at left) is becoming a red supergiant (center). As the nuclear reaction within a giant star's core falters, the core collapses, triggering an intensely energetic rebound and the star explodes (a supernova, at right).