Main Sequence: Hydrogen fusion in the core
balances gravity. A 20 M☉ star burns for ~10 million years.
💥 Supernova
About this simulation
A supernova is the cataclysmic explosion of a massive star at the end
of its life, briefly outshining an entire galaxy. This simulation
traces a star through its whole lifecycle — from steady hydrogen
burning to the collapse of its iron core and the blast that scatters
newly forged elements across space. Supernovae are how the carbon,
oxygen, and iron in our bodies and planet were created, making them
one of the most important processes in cosmic chemical evolution.
How it works
On the main sequence the star fuses hydrogen, and outward pressure
balances gravity.
Fuel runs out, the star swells into a red supergiant, and an inert
iron core builds up at its centre.
When the iron core exceeds the Chandrasekhar limit it collapses in
under a second to nuclear density and rebounds.
A neutrino-driven shockwave blasts the envelope outward; what is
left behind becomes a neutron star or a black hole.
Key equations
M_Ch ≈ 1.4 M☉ — the Chandrasekhar limit, the maximum mass
an electron-degenerate core can support before collapse;
E ≈ 10^46 J — total energy released, ~99% carried away by
neutrinos.
Controls
Phases — jump to any stage of stellar evolution.
Mass — set the progenitor mass (8–100 M☉); above
~25 M☉ the remnant is a black hole.
Explode! — trigger the supernova blast and ejecta.
Reset — return the star to the main sequence.
Pause / Play — freeze or resume the animation.
Auto — let the star evolve through all phases automatically.
Did you know?
For a few seconds a core-collapse supernova releases more energy in
neutrinos than all the stars in the observable universe emit in light
combined — yet those ghostly particles pass through you by the
trillions, completely unnoticed.