What are Some Different Types of Supernovae?
A supernova is a violent explosion which occurs as a stage of development in some stars. A supernova lasts from a few weeks to months, and during this time may release more energy than the Sun would emit over 10 billion years. Supernovae are capable of outshining their host galaxies. In a galaxy the size of the Milky Way, supernovae occur about once every fifty years. If a supernova occurred 26 light-years away from the Earth, it would blow off half our ozone layer. Some paleontologists blame a nearby supernova for the Ordovician-Silurian extinction event, which occurred approximately 444 million years ago, during which 60% of ocean life died. The brightest supernova in human history was observed in 1006 by people across Eurasia, with the most detailed notes coming from China. With luminosity between a quarter and half that of the full Moon, this supernova was so bright that it cast shadows. Supernova occur in one of two ways, and they are correspondingly broken up into types – Type I
