Stopping a star from going supernova

[gtriafylos]

hi guys, my first post...

i was wondering if there is anyway of stopping a star from going supernova...
my proposal is as follows:

if you where to have a star about to go supernova, (as a result of lack of fusion) in the middle of space, and then you had super massive bodies surrounding the star equally in all directions, would that be able to stop the star from collapsing in on itself, and in turn stopping it from going supernova? also assuming that the net gravitational force of these external bodies attracting the star match the gravitational force that is making the star collapse in on itself.

thanks!

 

[Bandersnatch]

Hi gtriafylos, welcome to PF.

A uniform spherical shell of mass will have exactly zero effect on the gravitational field within.

Have a look here for more details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_theorem

 

[russ_watters]

If it were orbiting a single massive object like a black hole, it might get torn apart by tidal forces instead of collapsing. (How did it become a star in the first place though...?)

 

[gtriafylos]

Ahh ok i see, thanks Bandersnatch. it would have been pretty cool if it worked though!

 

[pmacias]

I appreciate your curiosity and creative thinking. However, I must inform you that stopping a star from going supernova is currently beyond our technological capabilities and understanding of the universe. The process of a star going supernova is a natural and inevitable event that occurs when a star runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and can no longer sustain itself against its own gravity.

Your proposal of surrounding the star with super massive bodies could potentially counteract the gravitational force that is causing the collapse, but it would require an immense amount of energy and precision to achieve. Additionally, the gravitational forces within a star are much stronger than those of external bodies, so it is unlikely that they could completely stop the collapse.

Furthermore, even if we were able to stop a star from going supernova, it would still eventually run out of fuel and die, just in a different way. It is also important to consider the impact on the surrounding environment and other celestial bodies if we were to artificially interfere with a star's natural life cycle.

In conclusion, while your proposal is thought-provoking, stopping a star from going supernova is currently not possible with our current technology and understanding of the universe. As scientists, we continue to study and learn about the processes of stars and their life cycles, but for now, we must accept that supernovae are a natural part of the universe.