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This is now a Hot Network Question. As such, we should have a bit more descression as to spoilers/title.

Why is there a difference in the speed of explosions caused by the Death Star?

In A New Hope, when Alderaan is blown up by the Death Star, the destruction is instant and very explosive.

Similarly, in The Force Awakens, when Starkiller Base

fired on and destroyed Hosnian Prime (as well as a handful of smaller planets in the Hosnian system), the result was spectacularly explosive.

Now, go back in time to Rogue One.

In it, both Jedha and Scarif are destroyed by the Death Star. However, both explosions are drawn out and less instantaneous. In fact, the destruction of Jedha is so “slow” that Jyn and others even have time to escape its destruction.

I might have missed it in the movie, but is there a reason in Rogue One why

Jedha and Scarif’s explosions were more drawn out?