SN 2006X, before and after the Type Ia Supernova explosion (artist's impression)

Left : artist's impression of the favoured configuration for the progenitor system of SN2006X before the explosion. The White Dwarf (on the right) accretes material from the Red Giant star, which is losing gas in the form of stellar wind (the diffuse material surrounding the giant). Only part of the gas is accreted by the White Dwarf, through a so-called accretion disc which surrounds the compact star. The remaining gas escapes the system and eventually dissipates into the interstellar medium. The Red Giant star has a radius about 100 times larger than our Sun, while the White Dwarf is about 100 times smaller than the Sun.