SN 1998S

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sn-1998s

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How heavy is SN 1998S?Estimated to be > 8 solar masses
2. What is the supernova classification?Type II-P
3. What is the host galaxy?NGC 2770
4. What happened to the star that became SN 1998S?It was a massive star that ran out of fuel, its core collapsed, and the explosion sent its outer layers into space.
5. Why is SN 1998S called a Type II-P supernova?Because it is a core‑collapse explosion that shows a plateau in its brightness after the peak, caused by hydrogen recombining in the expanding gas.

Type II-P Supernova: A core-collapse supernova characterized by a hydrogen spectral signature and a plateau phase in its light curve.
Nucleosynthesis: The process by which atomic nuclei are created, primarily within stars and during supernova explosions, forming heavier elements.
Light Curve: A graph showing the change in brightness of an astronomical object over time.
Host Galaxy: The galaxy in which an astronomical object, such as a supernova, is located.