Supernova 101: 1.Core builds up iron → hits Chandrasekhar limit. 2.Core collapses at near light-speed; electrons slam into nuclei → neutrons. 3.Neutron formation spits out a flood of neutrinos. ’s outer layers fall inward, smash into neutron core. (Neutrinos rarely interact—one could cross a light-year of lead with only ~50% chance of interaction.) trillions × lead’s density, neutrino interactions finally go wild. 6.That energy release = supernova. The universe’s most violent explosion is powered by its weakest particle.