--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Stars that become supernovae start off at…" description: "\"Stars that become supernovae start off at least eight times heavier than our sun. They're so short-lived that, even if they have planets, there is unli..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-a_3006156.jpg" --- # Stars that become supernovae start off at least eight… ![“Stars that become supernovae start off at least eight times heavier than our sun. They're so short-lived that, even if they have planets, there is unlikely to be time for life to get started. The surface is 40,000C and, as a result, the colouring will be extremely blue.” quote by Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-a_3006156.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-a_3006156.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-a_3006156.jpg) > “Stars that become supernovae start off at least eight times heavier than our sun. They're so short-lived that, even if they have planets, there is unlikely to be time for life to get started. The surface is 40,000C and, as a result, the colouring will be extremely blue.” [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote explains that massive stars become supernovae quickly, making life unlikely on surrounding planets due to extreme conditions. **In simple terms:** Supernovae stars are short‑lived and hostile. Key Takeaway Consider planetary habitability limits. Themes astronomy stellar evolution habitability extremes Mood scientific speculative Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - space exploration - philosophical implications Key Concepts exoplanet research science education Questions to Reflect On - What conditions could allow life near supernovae? - How does stellar death affect galaxy evolution? A Different Perspective It may overlook potential for life in protected niches. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Become](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become/) [Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blue/) [Eight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eight/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Extremely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremely/) [Galaxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/galaxy/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Heavier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavier/) [Heavier Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavier-sun-4795972/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Off](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/off/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Planets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planets/) [Result](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/result/) [Short lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-lived/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Stars Supernovae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars-supernovae-775209/) [Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Supernovae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supernovae-775210/) [Supernovae Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supernovae-start-4795971/) [Surface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surface/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times/) [Unlikely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unlikely/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [“the universe is big and old and, as a result, rare events happen all the time. Go out some night into the woods or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/the-universe-is-big-and-old-and-as-a-result-rare-events-happen-all/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [When we initially proposed LIGO, the only sources that we were really contemplating were supernovae. We thought we would see something like one a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-weiss/when-we-initially-proposed-ligo-the-only-sources-that-we-were-really/) [Rainer Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-weiss/) > [We look at distant exploding stars called supernovae, and we've developed techniques to measure how far away they are and how fast they're moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-riess/we-look-at-distant-exploding-stars-called-supernovae-and-we-ve/) [Adam Riess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-riess/) > [Abstract Expressionism - the first American movement to have a worldwide influence - was remarkably short-lived: It heated up after World War II and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/abstract-expressionism-the-first-american-movement-to-have-a/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [Hatred also is short lived; but that which makes the splendor of the present and the glory of the future remains forever unforgotten here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/hatred-also-is-short-lived-but-that-which-makes-the-splendor-of-the/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Socrates called beauty a short-lived tyranny; Plato, a privilege of nature; Theophrastus, a silent cheat; Theocritus, a delightful prejudice; Carneades, a solitary kingdom; Aristotle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/socrates-called-beauty-a-short-lived-tyranny-plato-a-privilege-of/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Sponsorships and marketing are oftentimes pretty short-lived. From a company's standpoint, they're often not looking to do tremendously long contracts. They're always trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/sponsorships-and-marketing-are-oftentimes-pretty-short-lived-from-a/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [The things that give instant gratification like social media, or expensive cars, or splurging on gadgets yet no life, or retail therapy, binge drinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhumika-chawla/the-things-that-give-instant-gratification-like-social-media-or/) [Bhumika Chawla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhumika-chawla/) > [Flawless . . . Tightly choreographed . . . Shipstead gains entry into exclusive worlds and trains her opera glasses on private social rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-corrigan/flawless-tightly-choreographed-shipstead-gains-entry-into-exclusive/) [Maureen Corrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-corrigan/) > [Whatever else it was, Adolf Hitler's short-lived regime was also a colossal industrial process by which the wealth and productive power of much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buchan/whatever-else-it-was-adolf-hitler-s-short-lived-regime-was-also-a/) [James Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-buchan/) > [Moments of crisis, like the shooting in Newtown, tend to produce brief spikes of popular interest in gun control. My research on media attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/moments-of-crisis-like-the-shooting-in-newtown-tend-to-produce-brief/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [I think that rebellions arise out of anger, and they're very short-lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/i-think-that-rebellions-arise-out-of-anger-and-they-re-very-short/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [The male has more teeth than the female in mankind, and sheep and goats, and swine. This has not been observed in other animals.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-male-has-more-teeth-than-the-female-in-mankind-and-sheep-and/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [To be quite honest, the joyful relief of the publication of my book was short-lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-knox/to-be-quite-honest-the-joyful-relief-of-the-publication-of-my-book/) [Amanda Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-knox/) > [Architecture is not a profession for the faint-hearted, the weak-willed, or the short-lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/architecture-is-not-a-profession-for-the-faint-hearted-the-weak/) [Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/) ## More by Martin Rees > [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [When scientists are asked what they are working on, their response is seldom 'Finding the origin of the universe' or 'Seeking to cure cancer.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/when-scientists-are-asked-what-they-are-working-on-their-response-is/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [The advance of science spares us from irrational dread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-advance-of-science-spares-us-from-irrational-dread/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [“The Sun contains about a thousand times more mass than Jupiter. If it were cold, gravity would squeeze it a million times denser than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-sun-contains-about-a-thousand-times-more-mass-than-jupiter-if-it/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [“We, and the visible universe around us, may exist only because of a difference in the ninth decimal place between the numbers of quarks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/we-and-the-visible-universe-around-us-may-exist-only-because-of-a/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [Crucial to science education is hands-on involvement: showing, not just telling; real experiments and field trips and not just 'virtual reality.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/crucial-to-science-education-is-hands-on-involvement-showing-not-just/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [I have no religious belief myself, but I don't think we should fight about it. In particular, I think that we should not rubbish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/i-have-no-religious-belief-myself-but-i-don-t-think-we-should-fight/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [“More energy is needed to rise a millimetre above a neutron star's surface than to break completely free of Earth's gravity. A pen dropped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/more-energy-is-needed-to-rise-a-millimetre-above-a-neutron-star-s/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [The next humans to walk on the moon may be Chinese. Only China seems to have the resources, the dirigiste government, and the willingness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-next-humans-to-walk-on-the-moon-may-be-chinese-only-china-seems/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [If we ever established contact with intelligent life on another world, there would be barriers to communication. First, they would be many light years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/if-we-ever-established-contact-with-intelligent-life-on-another-world/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [There is an ever-widening gap between what science allows and what we should actually do. There are many doors science can open that should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/there-is-an-ever-widening-gap-between-what-science-allows-and-what-we/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [An insect is more complex than a star..and is a far greater challenge to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/an-insect-is-more-complex-than-a-star-and-is-a-far-greater-challenge/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [The physicist is like someone who's watching people playing chess and, after watching a few games, he may have worked out what the moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-physicist-is-like-someone-who-s-watching-people-playing-chess-and/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [We are 'nuclear waste' from the fuel that makes stars shine; indeed, each of us contains atoms whose provenance can be traced back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/we-are-nuclear-waste-from-the-fuel-that-makes-stars-shine-indeed-each/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [Just as there are many Jews who keep the Friday ritual in their home despite describing themselves as atheists, I am a 'tribal Christian,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/just-as-there-are-many-jews-who-keep-the-friday-ritual-in-their-home/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) [Explore all 143 Martin Rees quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) ## More Astronomy quotes > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Wen daylight turns to a darkened hue, D lovely stars hinting at u, ur heart beat tells u something true, That some 1 badly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-kisses/wen-daylight-turns-to-a-darkened-hue-d-lovely-stars-hinting-at-u-ur/) [Butterfly\_Kisses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butterfly-kisses/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [From the grasses in the field to the stars in the sky, each one is doing just that; and there is such profound peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/from-the-grasses-in-the-field-to-the-stars-in-the-sky-each-one-is/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [“Sentinels of trees breathe life into bodies of earthly flesh As their mighty arms reach to the stars we join in their quest for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-ravenswood/sentinels-of-trees-breathe-life-into-bodies-of-earthly-flesh-as-their/) [Ramon Ravenswood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-ravenswood/) > [“If there are no stars on the sky, you must try to be happy with the shining streetlights!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-there-are-no-stars-on-the-sky-you-must-try-to-be-happy-with-the/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/) [Nicole Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-gentile/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." ... quote has been credited to Les Brown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylviek/shoot-for-the-moon-even-if-you-miss-it-you-will-land-among-the-stars/) [Sylviek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylviek/) > [When certain stars take you under their wing, it does help as they gauge your potential and are willing to work with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-bhatt/when-certain-stars-take-you-under-their-wing-it-does-help-as-they/) [Vikram Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-bhatt/) > [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. We are beholden to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-were-put-here-as-witnesses-to-the-miracle-of-life-we-see-the-stars/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) [Browse all 6,190 Astronomy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Stars that become supernovae start off at least eight times heavier than our sun. They're so short-lived that, even if they have planets, there is unlikely to be time for life to get started. The surface is 40,000C and, as a result, the colouring will be extremely blue.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Rees" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-at-least-eight-times-heavier/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Astronomy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-at-least-eight-times-heavier/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-a_3006156.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-a_3006156.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-a_3006156.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Stars that become supernovae start off at least eight times heavier than our sun. They're so short-lived…” — Martin Rees", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Martin Rees", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Stars that become supernovae start off...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-at-least-eight-times-heavier/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-at-least-eight-times-heavier/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```