The Journey of the Pillars of Creation Nebula

Chapter 5: Act 4 - The Dying Star



At the top of the Pillars of Creation, Stera and Artmory were immersed in the tranquility and magnificence of the new star's birth. However, this tranquility was suddenly broken. A faint vibration pierced through the nebula's tranquility, almost imperceptible at first, but soon the feeling of vibration became increasingly strong, like the universe's heartbeat suddenly accelerating, heralding an impending storm.

Artmory first noticed the anomaly, his gaze piercing through the nebula's fog, searching for the source of the vibration. "Stera, do you feel that?" His voice carried a hint of tension.

Stera also snapped out of her reverie, her eyes tightly fixed on the starry sky near the Pillars of Creation. Suddenly, an aged star caught the attention of Artmory and Stera; the light of that aged star began to become abnormal, its brightness constantly increasing, and its color changing. "Not good, that star..." Her words were interrupted by a more violent vibration before she could finish.

The dying star and a neighboring star, due to some unknown gravitational effect, began to attract each other. The distance between them became shorter and shorter, and the gravitational pull caused their orbits to gradually go out of control. Stera and Artmory both realized what was about to happen—a supernova explosion, whose power was enough to destroy the Pillars of Creation and all nearby stars.

"We must take action immediately!" Stera's voice was firm and urgent. Energy gathered around her body, forming a huge special energy net.

At the same time, Stera began to mobilize some of her power to slow down the approach of the out-of-control star. Her movements were swift and precise; while maintaining the weaving of the energy net, she used her power to form a buffer zone between the two stars, slowing their approach.

Artmory immediately understood Stera's intention, nodding in agreement and preparing to assist Stera in completing this nearly impossible task. "Tell me, what do I need to do?"

Stera didn't have time to explain much; she simply said, "Help me stabilize this energy net. We need to transfer the out-of-control stars to the open area outside the Pillars of Creation."

As the energy net gradually took shape, Stera handed the net to Artmory. "Quick, use this net to catch them and then take them away from here!" Her voice revealed a hint of fatigue but was filled with determination.

Artmory took the energy net and immediately headed to the location of the out-of-control stars. His speed reached an unprecedented level, shuttling through the nebula, preparing to transfer the out-of-control stars to a safe area. Time was of the essence; the explosion of the two stars was imminent.

Stera fell into a coma due to excessive energy consumption after Artmory left. By her side, the Pillars of Creation still stood quietly, as if silently guarding her.

Artmory arrived near the out-of-control stars, carefully spread and caught the two stars about to collide with the energy net. This process required great precision and control; Artmory focused entirely on ensuring the energy net would not break under the stars' powerful gravity. After successfully catching the stars, Artmory immediately began to guide them towards the open area outside the Pillars of Creation.

Ultimately, just before the stars reached the critical point, Artmory timely moved them to the open area outside the Pillars of Creation. Then, he retreated to an area not affected by the supernova explosion to watch this rare spectacle. The cores of the two out-of-control stars gradually collapsed. As the cores collapsed, the outer layers of the stars were pushed into the depths of the universe by an invisible force; they were like released sprites, carrying the last light of the star's life, cutting through the darkness. At that moment, the star's light became incredibly dazzling; its light penetrated the surrounding nebula, awakening the entire galaxy from its slumber.

In the instant of the explosion, the light released by the star was like millions of diamonds shining at the same time. The white light contained endless energy and then gradually changed into a gorgeous picture. The red light was like molten lava, the blue light like cold flames, and the green light like the surge of the fountain of life; they were interwoven, forming the most magnificent color feast in the universe.

The shockwave met the surrounding gas and dust; they were like an artist's brush, sketching touching patterns on the canvas of the nebula. Other nearby nebulae, under the action of the shockwave, rolled and rotated as if dancing their final dance on the stage of the universe. Their shapes changed constantly, each change a display of the power of the universe.

In this symphony of light and shadow, the supernova's light cast long shadows in the nebula. These shadows changed with the spread of the explosion wave, like light and shadow in the universe conducting a grand symphony. They swept across the surface of the nebula, leaving traces of light, like the scales of time, recording every moment of this cosmic spectacle.

Finally, as the afterglow of the explosion gradually faded and the brilliance of the supernova slowly faded out, the energy and matter it released would continue to spread in the universe and turn into new stars. Artmory witnessed this cosmic spectacle from a distance. When the afterglow of the explosion gradually faded, Artmory also set off to return to the Pillars of Creation.

————————————————————

"Worldview"

[Supernova Explosion]

In the grand narrative of the cosmos, a supernova explosion is an extremely spectacular and highly destructive astronomical phenomenon. When a massive star exhausts its core nuclear fuel and can no longer generate sufficient pressure through nuclear fusion to support itself, this intense explosion occurs. The brightness of such an explosion can briefly outshine an entire galaxy, releasing an amount of energy equivalent to the total energy released by the Sun throughout its entire life cycle.

Supernova explosions not only mark the end of a star's life but also serve as the cradle for the birth of new elements. During the explosion, the high temperature and pressure within the star's core drive intense nuclear fusion reactions,producing all heavy elements from iron to uranium. These elements are then ejected into space,becoming the building blocks for future stars, planets, and even life.

The impact of supernova explosions is far-reaching. They can affect the distribution of surrounding interstellar material and trigger the formation of new stars. The shockwaves produced by the explosion travel through nebulae, compressing gas and dust,sometimes enough to initiate a series of star births. Additionally, supernova explosions are potential sources of gamma-ray bursts in the universe, and these high-energy radiation bursts are crucial for studying extreme physical conditions in the cosmos.


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.