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USS NOVA Namesake: Difference between revisions
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A nova (also known as a classical supernova) is an enormous nuclear explosion caused by the accretion of hydrogen onto the surface of a white dwarf star. | A nova (also known as a classical supernova) is an enormous nuclear explosion caused by the accretion of hydrogen onto the surface of a white dwarf star. | ||
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A white dwarf can potentially generate multiple novae over time as additional hydrogen continues to accrete onto its surface from its companion star. An example is RS Ophiuchi, which is known to have flared five times (in 1898, 1933, 1958, 1967, and 1985). Eventually, however, either the companion star will either run out of material, or the white dwarf will undergo a nova so powerful that it is completely destroyed in the process. This is somewhat similar to a type Ia supernova. Supernovae in general, however, involve different processes as well as much higher energies, and should not be confused with ordinary novae. | A white dwarf can potentially generate multiple novae over time as additional hydrogen continues to accrete onto its surface from its companion star. An example is RS Ophiuchi, which is known to have flared five times (in 1898, 1933, 1958, 1967, and 1985). Eventually, however, either the companion star will either run out of material, or the white dwarf will undergo a nova so powerful that it is completely destroyed in the process. This is somewhat similar to a type Ia supernova. Supernovae in general, however, involve different processes as well as much higher energies, and should not be confused with ordinary novae. | ||
This article, and only this article, is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. | <center><font size="-2">This article, and only this article, is licensed under the [http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html GNU Free Documentation License].<br> | ||
Image from NASA's Astronomy picture of the day, September 25, 1997. | It uses material from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova Wikipedia article "Nova."]<br> | ||
Image from NASA's [http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970925.html Astronomy picture of the day, September 25, 1997]. | |||
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