  The observable properties of a Type Ia supernova are sensitive to how the
nuclear runaway ignites in a Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf - at a single point
at its center, off-center, or at multiple points and times. We present a simple
analytic model for the runaway based upon a combination of stellar
mixing-length theory and recent advances in understanding Rayleigh-Benard
convection. The convective flow just prior to runaway is likely to have a
strong dipolar component, though higher multipoles may contribute appreciably
at the very high Rayleigh number (10$^{25}$) appropriate to the white dwarf
core. A likely outcome is multi-point ignition with an exponentially increasing
number of ignition points during the few tenths of a second that it takes the
runaway to develop. The first sparks ignite approximately 150 - 200 km off
center, followed by ignition at smaller radii. Rotation may be important to
break the dipole asymmetry of the ignition and give a healthy explosion.
