The Cellar - View Single Post - Giant exploding star outshines previous supernovas

Urbane Guerrilla · 05-15-2007, 12:28 PM

Wiki's Star entry, with some passing mention of star lifespans. Scroll down a bit less than halfway to "Mass."

It gives a lifespan of roughly a million years for 150 Msun. Several million years for 100 Msun.

It points out why 150 solar masses seems to be the upper limit, too. Any bigger, and the star can't radiate its energy output through its photosphere fast enough -- which means it blows off its outer layers, apparently until stability is reached, at a lower burning rate. Putting it mildly.

05-15-2007, 12:28 PM	#7
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	Wiki's Star entry, with some passing mention of star lifespans. Scroll down a bit less than halfway to "Mass." It gives a lifespan of roughly a million years for 150 Msun. Several million years for 100 Msun. It points out why 150 solar masses seems to be the upper limit, too. Any bigger, and the star can't radiate its energy output through its photosphere fast enough -- which means it blows off its outer layers, apparently until stability is reached, at a lower burning rate. Putting it mildly. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.