What is Type Ia supernova?
A '''type Ia supernova''' is a type of [[supernova]] that occurs in [[binary star|binary systems]] (two stars orbiting one another) in which one of the stars is a [[white dwarf]]. The other star can be anything from a giant star to an even smaller white dwarf. Physically, [[carbon]]-[[oxygen]] white dwarfs with slow [[rotation]] are limited to below 1.44 [[solar mass]]es. Since type Ia supernovae have a known brightness they can be used as [[standard candle]]s to determine the distance to a [[galaxy]] once the stretch-factor is accounted for. When a runaway thermonuclear explosion rips through a white dwarf star and blows the star to bits, it is called a type 1a supernova. These explosions are incredibly violent and incredibly bright, sometimes outshining entire galaxies. Type I (especially Ia) supernova create most of the [[iron]] and [[nickel]] found in the interstellar medium. Type 1a supernovae are several times more luminous than type Ib, Ic, and type II supernovae. They leave no core remnant behind, and happen when a low-mass star's core remnant (a [[white dwarf]]) detonates. {{Supernovae}} [[Category:Supernovae]]