How long do supernova remnants last?
1 Answer
Technically, forever.
Explanation:
Our entire planet and the entire solar system is made up of super nova remnants. Stars start their lives as hot balls of hydrogen going through nuclear fusion. When a star has burned all its hydrogen and then all its helium its gravity causes the outer layers to star collapsing inward. As they collapse the helium atoms fuse to form heavier elements, until they hit iron at which time the fusion process stops.
However, star giants have so much mass that their collapse continues past iron and can continue all the way through radon. That covers all the natural elements in the universe. The last thing to happen is an explosion at which time all the elements the star created are flung out into the universe to be captured by newly forming stars. And that is how we came by all our elements.
