fearman's definitions
Violent explosion of a star. The star is destroyed, with a remnant forming a neutron star (pulsar) or black hole (collapsar) depending on the residual mass.
There are generally two forms of supernova. One results at the end of the life of a star with at least about eight solar masses, which in a series of progressively shorter-lived and less efficient thermonuclear reactions generates ever heavier chemical elements in layers about the core. Effectively this is a star that lives fast and dies young. When each step in the process chokes up the core with nuclear "ash", contractions follow under gravity, driving up temperatures until they are sufficient to synthesise the next heavy element from this waste product. When the core fills with iron, the end point is reached; it takes more energy to fuse iron into anything heavier than the fusion reaction produces. At this point the star collapses, driving temperatures into perhaps twelve figures Kelvin and triggering an explosion that blows most of the star to smithereens.
A second type occurs in close orbiting binary systems where one star A, being more massive, evolves more quickly to the red giant phase and develops a thin outer envelope and a core rich in carbon. Its companion B skims off the outer layer, grows in mass and itself evolves to the red giant stage. At this point the carbon-rich star A begins reclaiming the hydrogen; when the gas accreting onto it drives its mass over 1.4 solar masses a huge nuclear reaction ensues and A blows itself apart.
Supernova explosions can briefly outshine the combined output of all the stars in at least a modest galaxy. They are also responsible for seeding the Universe with the heavy chemical elements of which the Earth and our very bodies are made.
There are generally two forms of supernova. One results at the end of the life of a star with at least about eight solar masses, which in a series of progressively shorter-lived and less efficient thermonuclear reactions generates ever heavier chemical elements in layers about the core. Effectively this is a star that lives fast and dies young. When each step in the process chokes up the core with nuclear "ash", contractions follow under gravity, driving up temperatures until they are sufficient to synthesise the next heavy element from this waste product. When the core fills with iron, the end point is reached; it takes more energy to fuse iron into anything heavier than the fusion reaction produces. At this point the star collapses, driving temperatures into perhaps twelve figures Kelvin and triggering an explosion that blows most of the star to smithereens.
A second type occurs in close orbiting binary systems where one star A, being more massive, evolves more quickly to the red giant phase and develops a thin outer envelope and a core rich in carbon. Its companion B skims off the outer layer, grows in mass and itself evolves to the red giant stage. At this point the carbon-rich star A begins reclaiming the hydrogen; when the gas accreting onto it drives its mass over 1.4 solar masses a huge nuclear reaction ensues and A blows itself apart.
Supernova explosions can briefly outshine the combined output of all the stars in at least a modest galaxy. They are also responsible for seeding the Universe with the heavy chemical elements of which the Earth and our very bodies are made.
by Fearman December 3, 2007
Get the Supernovamug. Some new-fangled type of arms that "President" George Bush II tends to worry about a lot, or so he says.
Mah fellow Americans, there is plenny of evidence that Ee-rak, Afghanistan and perhaps Venezuela all have New Killer Weapons.
by Fearman February 24, 2008
Get the New Killer Weaponsmug. A really drop-dead gorgeous place to live. A waaaay cool house or flat. A contraction of desirable residence.
by Fearman October 5, 2007
Get the dezz rezzmug. 2. Second planet from the sun. Almost the size of Earth. At various points in the two planets' orbits it is visible in Earth's sky as the so-called morning or evening star. A runaway greenhouse effect has generated temperatures at the surface of around 480 degrees Centigrade, under an atmospheric pressure of around 90 bars, equivalent to the water pressure nearly one kilometre under the sea on Earth. Atmosphere mainly carbon dioxide, contains notable amounts of sulphur dioxide. Sulphuric acid virga (rain that re-evaporates in mid-air) falls from cloud deck about 30 miles above the surface. Diameter about 7,500 miles. Most surface features named for historic or mythical women. Various interesting surface features mapped by the Magellan probe's radar technology. Surface gravity 90 percent of that on Earth. No natural satellites. On current theories, Venus may be a portent of future conditions on Earth's surface as the sun brightens in ages to come. It may also serve as a warning of the (relatively modest but still highly undesirable) effects that carbon dioxide emissions by human industry may have on our own planetary environment.
2. The planet's namesake is the ancient Roman goddess of love, sex and beauty. Modelled on the Greek Aphrodite. One thoroughly industrial-strength bodacious babe. Shag her and die ... or die and shag her, whichever. Compare this image with the nature of the planet's surface and ponder that, as Freddie Mercury once put it, love kills.
2. The planet's namesake is the ancient Roman goddess of love, sex and beauty. Modelled on the Greek Aphrodite. One thoroughly industrial-strength bodacious babe. Shag her and die ... or die and shag her, whichever. Compare this image with the nature of the planet's surface and ponder that, as Freddie Mercury once put it, love kills.
Venus is looking really nice in the evening sky tonight.
Oh, Venus, please let me have Aurelia Calypyggia in my bed tonight.
Oh, Venus, please let me have Aurelia Calypyggia in my bed tonight.
by Fearman May 10, 2008
Get the Venusmug. Expression frequently used when working with a slow working computer. From Leon's line in Blade Runner.
Come on, you useless hunk of plastic and silicon, load the sucker! Hurry up and wake up! time to die!
by Fearman November 24, 2007
Get the wake up! time to diemug. Branch of the sciences with which everyone is of course familiar and which already has coffee-table books devoted to it, but which has yet to be satisfactorily defined. It is therefore incredibly easy to award yourself a doctorate in duttyology. In a postmodern world in particular, duttyologists can multiply like rabbits.
As soon as I had even heard of the word, I had instantly awarded myself an advanced doctorate with honours in duttyology.
by Fearman November 19, 2007
Get the duttyologymug. Expression used of someone who has met a sad end in fact or fiction. After a line from Hannibal Lecter in Thomas Harris's "The Silence of the Lambs", on the subject of Benjamin Raspail. Lecter had Raspail over for dinner and later commented, "Best thing for him, really. His therapy was going nowhere."
He jumped off a cliff and blew himself up with a bellyful of dynamite halfway down. Best thing for him, really. His therapy was going nowhere.
by Fearman August 4, 2007
Get the his therapy was going nowheremug.