Hum Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Reports are circulating that a star could go supernova and produce a second sun for the Earth, at least on a temporary basis. In one story, Dr. Brad Carter, Senior Lecturer of Physics at the University of Queensland in Australia, noted the scenario in which the star Betelguese in the constellation Orion is losing mass, indicating it's collapsing. It could run out of fuel and go super-nova. Astronomers have long said that will happen -- someday, possibly in millions of years. But while next year has been mentioned, DiscoveryNews reports there is absolutely no indication the star will explode in 2012. The Internet site says even the most advanced telescopes and computer models are incapable of making such a precise prediction. Also, at 640 light-years away, it's too far to hurt anyone on Earth. source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unix2 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I would love to see what is like having two suns.... its has to be weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inklin Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I would take constant daylight for a time, would be an awesome experience. I guess there's already ways to get thet though, like in Summer in Scandinavian countries, Iceland, Alaska etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted February 27, 2011 Author Share Posted February 27, 2011 640 light-years ? I wouldn't think that would provide much light .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob.derosa Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 It wouldn't be constant daylight, it would be about as bright as a full moon. And it is going to happen 'soon' in astronomical timescales, we are unable to predict exactly when an event like this will occur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warboy Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Now the question is, How bad will it go supernova? Will it be hypernova? Will it form a blackhole? Because 640 light years is pretty close for a black hole/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obi-Wan Kenobi Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 anyone up for some Tatooine? :alien: edit: dibs on Anakin's pod racer! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bogas04 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Why is that all BIG things are million years away :/ I am bored of monotonicity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Charming Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 If it's 640ly away and is going to happen 'soon', surely it most likely already has, or has not happened. Speed of light etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckeratlarge Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I was expecting another story, as in the idiot newspapers, of doom and destruction. Which won't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detection Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 If it's 640ly away and is going to happen 'soon', surely it most likely already has, or has not happened. Speed of light etc... That's what I was thinking unless they have taken that into account, which I would imagine these crazy scientists probably would have done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedstr3789 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 In other news grass is green Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheElite Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 In other news grass is green Really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frylock86 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, and NO! Betelgeuse is too far away to be "a second sun", and it would most certainly NOT produce 24hr daylight. I’m glad that both articles are clear that there is no danger from the star if and when it explodes. It’s simply too far away to do us any physical harm; a supernova would have to be within 25 light years or so before it would start to do measurable damage to Earth, and it would have to be much closer before that harm rose to the level of actual danger. At 600+ light years, a supernova would be pretty bright, but hardly bright enough to be a second Sun, as both article say. Sorry, no Tatooine-like sunsets for us. It wouldn’t even be as bright as the full Moon, really, but certainly far brighter than Venus. Enough to cast a shadow, which would actually be pretty cool. Emphasis mine. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/21/betelgeuse-and-2012/ Posts like this really get my blood boiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty Wagyu Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 If it's 640ly away and is going to happen 'soon', surely it most likely already has, or has not happened. Speed of light etc... Yes already happened, just taking 640+ years for us to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamp0 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I find the size of these things are hard to imagine. This Betelguese would make the sun look like a grain of sand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 it'd be one of the brighter objects in the sun, certainly the brightest outside the solar system. other than that it'd make no difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisp Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I say we nuke it, before it nukes us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frylock86 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I say we nuke it, before it nukes us! If Bush were still president, he'd have it listed as a terrorist. Haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted February 28, 2011 Member Share Posted February 28, 2011 And it is going to happen 'soon' in astronomical timescales, we are unable to predict exactly when an event like this will occur. I agree but these things are so random one never knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raa Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 If and that's a big IF that happens and we get constant daylight, then we'll complain about global warming on a new scale!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleNeutrino Veteran Posted February 28, 2011 Veteran Share Posted February 28, 2011 So even if it did happen next year we would all be long dead before we would notice here on earth lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+M2Ys4U Subscriber¹ Posted February 28, 2011 Subscriber¹ Share Posted February 28, 2011 No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, and NO! Betelgeuse is too far away to be "a second sun", and it would most certainly NOT produce 24hr daylight. Emphasis mine. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/21/betelgeuse-and-2012/ Posts like this really get my blood boiling. +1 Science reporting needs a serious overhaul :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frylock86 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 +1 Science reporting needs a serious overhaul :( Indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetonesun Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 It would be visible, but nothing new. There are written records of a few supernovas which were visible, although the brightest, SN1006 appears to have been 7,200 light years away, and was reported as being 3x the size of Venus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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