Introduction
Imagine an explosion so huge that it destroys a supergiant star larger than our sun! Then imagine the remains of that massive star collapsing in on itself until it becomes a neutron star, a pulsar, or a black hole! Come along and experience the explosion of a star...... a supernova!
Task
In this webquest, you will learn about the explosion of a supergiant star and the possible end results of that explosion- a neutron star, a pulsar, and a black hole. You will visit websites, answer questions, and complete a final project.
Process
A. A supernova explosion is a cataclysmic event for a star, one that essentially ends the star's active,energy-generating, lifetime. When a star “goes supernova,” considerable amounts of its matter, equaling the material of several suns, may be blasted into space with such a burst of energy that the exploding star will outshine its entire home galaxy.
But what happens inside a large star when it stops making energy through the process of fusion? The star actually collapses in on itself. Watch the following video to understand why the star collapses and then answer these questions:
1. What two forces are pushing in opposite directions on a star?
2. Which of these forces stop at the end of a star's life causing it to collapse?
3. What is another word for balance?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcvFkvmYsj8
B. While many supernovae have been seen in nearby galaxies, they are relatively rare events in our own galaxy. The last to be seen was Kepler's star in 1604. On the website below, see and read about the remains of Kepler's supernova and answer the following question:
4. About how many years ago did the famous scientist Johannes Kepler see this supernova?
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_219.html
C. Read about another famous remnant of a supernova that exploded in 1054. The supernova glowed brightly enough to be seen even in the daylight for several weeks. Please answer the following questions:
5. Will our sun ever become a supernova? Yes or no? Why?
6. What is the name of the cloudy, glowing mass that comprises about 90% of the remains of the supernova seen from earth in 1054?
7. and 8. Name two nationalities of people who recorded the appearance of the supernova in 1054? Do not list the possibility that the Chacoans (Anasazi) recorded it.
9. Do you think the Chacoans' petrogylphs do depict the supernova of 1054? Why or why not?
10. If so, how do you think the Chacoans felt when they saw the "visiting star"?
http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/outside/chaco/nebula.html
D. Read the information on the following website, view the photo of a neutron star, and answer the questions below:
11. How is a neutron star created?
12. Fill in the blank: A sugar cube-sized amount of a neutron star weighs about as much as a _____________.
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/pulsars1.html
E. Read the 2nd paragraph under Neutron Stars on the website below and then read the section titled "What is a Pulsar and What Makes it Pulse?" and the first paragraph under "X-ray Observations of Pulsars." Please answer the following questions:
13. What are pulsars?
14. Do pulsars actually turn on and off?
15. Explain your answer to number 14
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/pulsars1.html
F. Read this website & answer the questions below:
16. This site says that a black hole has something in common with what household appliance?
17. What causes a black hole to pull things towards it?
18. Is a black hole empty? Explain.
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/black_holeB.htm
G. Read this site and answer the questions below:
19. How do scientists think a stellar-mass black hole is created?
20. Is there a black hole in our galaxy and if so, what type of black hole is it?
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/black_holeC.htm
.
Evaluation
Final Project:
Now create a diagram that shows a supernova, a neutron star, a pulsar, and a black hole. Add notes about each object. Take it home and talk to your parents or guardians about what you have learned.
Conclusion
We are carbon-based life forms. We are breathing oxygen and nitrogen right now. Scientists believe that all of those materials came from the core of some ancient star that exploded and spread its materials around the galaxy, before the Sun and the Earth were even formed! If they are correct, we ourselves and our whole world contains material from the core of a star- thanks to a supernova!