Extreme Universe NSN messages

• Supernovae and gamma-ray bursts are normal processes in the lives (or rather the deaths) of massive stars.

• • Massive stars are short-lived and rare
  • These explosions are very powerful.

• Supernovae shape the universe and sow the seeds for new worlds & life

• • By creating and circulating the heavier elements from which planets and life are made
  • By compressing clouds of gas and dust to initiate the process of forming new stars

• X-rays and gamma rays are released in the death of massive stars and from black holes and neutron stars that remain after the supernovae.

• • This kind of radiation can be dangerous to life.
  • This radiation is light energy, just much more energetic than visible light
  • Although the radiation from these events can be destructive to life, in a universe without these powerful explosions, there would be no life

• Earth’s atmosphere protects us from most of this radiation and as a consequence, prevents us from detecting this radiation from Earth’s surface.

• • We must put detectors above the atmosphere – out in space – to study this radiation.
  • NASA has missions to study X-rays and gamma rays emitted by powerful events in the universe.