Betelgeuse About To Go Supernova?

by Thomas
10 replies
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I know your life will be enriched by important information like this but, apparently, Betelgeuse (the star) is shrinking at a rate of about 500mph and, to date, has reduced in size by about 15%... and nobody knows why.

It could simply be an optical illusion (as it's known to vary in brightness too) but some people speculate that it could be a prelude to a supernova which, since the star is so big and so close to Earth, would be the brightest ever seen, and would easily outshine the Moon in the night-sky.

With that in mind, I'm sorta hoping it does...

(If you look at the constellation Orion, Betelgeuse is where the hunters right-arm socket might swing from... if you can imagine Orion being a hunter at all, that is; you have to wonder what the ancients were smoking.)
  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    I think the figure in Orion is a lot easier to imagine than some, Tommy.

    This is really interesting. I have never seen a nova and would love to.......but hey....
    What if that sun supports life somewhere? Think maybe that the rash of alien aircraft sightings in recent years could be "people" from that star system looking for somewhere else to go because they know their sun is about to kill them all?
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    Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    Somebody must have said its name three times.
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    "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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  • Profile picture of the author Lloyd Buchinski
    This thread should be moved over to the main forum immediately. This is just too important and not OT at all.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      It should explode in the next few thousand years.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dave Patterson
        Originally Posted by myob View Post

        It should explode in the next few thousand years.
        Guess I'll have to stay up late...
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  • Profile picture of the author gareth
    What about Gamma radiation ?
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    Gareth M Thomas
    Serial Entrepreneur
    Auckland, New Zealand

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  • Profile picture of the author MichaelHiles
    So, is this really "old news"? because of the distance and the fixed rate of the speed of light, this means that it actually happened millions of years ago, and the light waves are just now reaching earth...
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    • Profile picture of the author Lawrh
      Originally Posted by MichaelHiles View Post

      So, is this really "old news"? because of the distance and the fixed rate of the speed of light, this means that it actually happened millions of years ago, and the light waves are just now reaching earth...

      Betlegeuse is only 600 light years away, so not quite that old news
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      • Profile picture of the author Thomas
        Originally Posted by myob View Post

        It should explode in the next few thousand years.
        Or, it's already happened, and we just don't know about it yet...

        Originally Posted by gareth View Post

        What about Gamma radiation ?
        Apparently, within about 30 light-years is the danger zone for us. Betlegeuse is much farther away, while nothing within that limit appears to be creating any worried brows among astronomers, astro-physicists, or Sky News.

        Originally Posted by Lawrh View Post

        Betlegeuse is only 600 light years away, so not quite that old news
        But still old enough...
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  • Profile picture of the author gareth
    OK I wonder how cool it would look then
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    Gareth M Thomas
    Serial Entrepreneur
    Auckland, New Zealand

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