Wisps and Tatters

Abstract

A supernova is an episode of destruction, but it is also an act of creation. As an aging star tears itself apart, hot gases stream outward with speeds near that of light, forming an expanding cloud of luminous material, a “supernova remnant.” The remnant may remain visible for tens of thousands of years. In addition, some Type II supernovae leave behind a dense neutron star, spinning rapidly, at the very center of the explosion; exceedingly massive stars may leave behind a black hole. We shall focus our attention on supernova remnants in this chapter, leaving neutron stars and black holes for the next.

I gaze upon the beauty of the stars that cover the face of the sky,

And think of them as a garden of blossoms

—Moses Ibn Ezra (1070–1138)