Can a Planet Explode Like a Star?

[yenchin]

A timely post: http://blastr.com/2011/09/astronomer-explains-why-w.php"

 

[twistedspark]

The gravitational binding energy of the Earth is 2e32 joules, which is the equivalent of ~5e16 megatons of nuclear yield. The largest nuclear weapon ever built was rated at 50 megatons. so this is the equivalent of 10^15 of these bombs.

The surface area of the Earth is only ~5e14m² which means you would need enough of these bombs to cover the entire surface of the Earth with two bombs squeezed into every square meter.

In addition, each nuclear weapon needs about 15 kg of fissile material such as U 235 for the "trigger". Even if you include the amount of uranium in the oceans, you come up with only ~1/417,000 of the amount needed.

True, but that's using H-bombs. Supernovae are not caused by hydrogen fusion. They're caused by run-away fusion of Carbon, or Silicon, or mixtures of these and a few other heavier elements that creates such a rapid release of energy the star explodes.
We can make a planet explode. We need only artificially increase the Earth's gravity to the point of carbon fusion. Maybe the Asguard will lend us one.