Elemental: Birth of a Supernova

All matter in the universe comes from stars. What starts as a ball of hydrogen and helium gases, becomes the building blocks for everything through millions and billions of years of gravity and pressure. In some stars, with enough gravity, pressure, and heat, nuclear fusion occurs and new elements are formed. With the right conditions, fusion continues to create new elements by smushing (technical term) together atoms until it makes iron. Once iron has been created, fusion stops and the core begins to collapse. In less than a second, the star collapses and explodes into a supernova. This in turn creates the heavier elements and propels them into space.

The Elemental: Birth of a Supernova shawl is from my SCIENCE IS BEAUTIFUL series and shows the evolution of a star as it dies and becomes a supernova. Each element is depicted with its accurate electron configuration with “electron” beads in the color of the element. There is an outer core of hydrogen and helium, followed by carbon, neon, oxygen, silicon, and finally iron. This is the first of three designs involving elements (see also, Elemental: Noble Gases & Halogens and Elemental: Colors of Metal).