In space, sound does not travel like it does in a medium such as air or water. Sound is a mechanical wave that requires a medium to propagate, and the vacuum of space is mostly empty, lacking the necessary molecules to transmit sound waves.
However, if we were to imagine a hypothetical scenario where sound could travel through space, and we wanted to determine how loud a supernova would be, we would need to consider several factors.
A supernova is an incredibly powerful and energetic event that occurs during the death of a massive star. It releases an enormous amount of energy in the form of light, heat, and other forms of radiation. The brightness of a supernova can outshine an entire galaxy for a short period of time.
If we were to convert the energy released by a supernova into sound energy, it would be an astronomical level of sound intensity. Sound intensity is typically measured in decibels (dB). The threshold of human hearing is around 0 dB, and sounds louder than 120 dB can cause pain and potential hearing damage.
To put this into perspective, a typical conversation is around 60-70 dB, a rock concert can reach 120 dB, and a jet engine at close range can generate approximately 140 dB.
A supernova, being an immensely powerful event, would release an enormous amount of energy, potentially in the range of 10^44 to 10^45 joules. If we were to convert this energy into sound and assume it could propagate through space, it would result in an incredibly loud sound. The exact calculation is challenging because it depends on factors such as distance, radiation patterns, and the conversion of energy into sound.
However, given the vastness of space, even an extremely loud sound originating from a supernova would rapidly dissipate and become significantly attenuated as it travels through the vacuum. The sound would likely become indistinguishable from background noise over long distances, making it imperceptible to any potential listeners.
It's important to note that this hypothetical scenario of sound propagation through space is not consistent with our current understanding of physics. Sound waves require a medium to travel, and space is mostly devoid of the necessary medium for sound transmission.