SN 2005gl

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-2005gl

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. What is the event classification?Type II Supernova, exceptionally luminous
2. What is the progenitor star estimate?Massive red supergiant, likely >25 solar masses, with a retained hydrogen envelope
3. Why was SN 2005gl so bright?It was very bright because the star that exploded was huge—likely more than 25 times the Sun’s mass—and had a thick hydrogen layer that released a huge amount of energy.
4. What kind of star exploded in SN 2005gl?The star was a red supergiant, a very large, cool star that still had a substantial hydrogen envelope before it collapsed.

Type II Supernova: A core-collapse supernova originating from a massive star that retains its hydrogen envelope.
Nucleosynthesis: The process by which new atomic nuclei are created within stars and during supernovae.
Interstellar Medium: The matter and radiation that exist in the space between the star systems of a galaxy.
Progenitor Star: The star that existed before it became a supernova or other astronomical object.