Southern Patriot Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 640 light-years ? I wouldn't think that would provide much light .... That would depend entirely on the size of the star. Let's face it, our Sun is pretty puny when it comes to many of the known stars in the universe. http://www.kiroastro.com/writings/perspective The last picture on that page shows Betelgeuse compared to some other stars and our Sun (which if you can't make out the writing there is the size of one pixel in the image). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subject Delta Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Predicting such an event with any great accuracy when the star is so far away is unlikely IMO, I have my doubts that this will happen in my lifetime, but I hope it does, it will be the closest supernova we would ever have witnessed, and I imagine it will look absolutely amazing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qdave Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 These things cannot come any sooner :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 That would depend entirely on the size of the star. Let's face it, our Sun is pretty puny when it comes to many of the known stars in the universe. http://www.kiroastro.com/writings/perspective The last picture on that page shows Betelgeuse compared to some other stars and our Sun (which if you can't make out the writing there is the size of one pixel in the image). VY Canis Majoris makes BetelGeuse look like a marble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetonesun Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Let's face it, our Sun is pretty puny when it comes to many of the known stars in the universe. http://www.kiroastro.com/writings/perspective I'd say it's big enough :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frylock86 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 VY Canis Majoris makes BetelGeuse look like a marble I think VY Canis will go critical before Betelgeuse does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I think VY Canis will go critical before Betelgeuse does. I think so too, it's ejecting alot of material Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Patriot Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 VY Canis Majoris makes BetelGeuse look like a marble Well, I wouldn't quite say that, but it is bigger than Betelgeuse (roughly the same proportion difference as the Earth to Mercury): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lezard Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Lol wonder if these giants have giant planets too haha... with Giant women who make you good noos noos :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guru Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Why is that all BIG things are million years away :/ I am bored of monotonicity i'm glad they are far away :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ogamawab Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 interesting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Neo Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 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... It could have gone supernova 639 years ago, in that case we wouldn't know about it until next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De.Bug Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 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 Based on the fact that it is 640 light-years away isn't it probable that it has already gone supernova, and that we just haven't seen it yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azies Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 My god, it's full of stars! Hope someone gets the reference... if you're a true scifi geek, it should be easy. Based on the fact that it is 640 light-years away isn't it probable that it has already gone supernova, and that we just haven't seen it yet? Very good point, and very probable. You'd need to take into account that when human eyes first saw an indication of any trouble at Betelgeuse, the trouble already occurred, so the question is, does it take 640 years (Can someone help me with the amount of time it takes for light to hit the earth from something that far away?) for the star to go supernova, and will it take that long to show in the sky as a second sun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetonesun Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 My god, it's full of stars! Hope someone gets the reference... if you're a true scifi geek, it should be easy. Very good point, and very probable. You'd need to take into account that when human eyes first saw an indication of any trouble at Betelgeuse, the trouble already occurred, so the question is, does it take 640 years (Can someone help me with the amount of time it takes for light to hit the earth from something that far away?) for the star to go supernova, and will it take that long to show in the sky as a second sun? It would take about 640 years ;) Obviously they can take guesses based on the size of the star, the rate of observed decay, and our understanding of physics and supernovas to make an educated guess as to when we would see it, but since they aren't something we get to observe often, no one is going to pick a day on the calendar yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan R. Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 My god, it's full of stars! Hope someone gets the reference... if you're a true scifi geek, it should be easy. Very good point, and very probable. You'd need to take into account that when human eyes first saw an indication of any trouble at Betelgeuse, the trouble already occurred, so the question is, does it take 640 years (Can someone help me with the amount of time it takes for light to hit the earth from something that far away?) for the star to go supernova, and will it take that long to show in the sky as a second sun? Light years is a measure of distance, not time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnDewCodeRedFreak Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Light years is a measure of distance, not time. I was just about to say that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudslag Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 this was debunked by others, it wouldnt show up as a second sun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ci7 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 maybe by then Jupiter gonna burnup and become 2nd star ! :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 maybe by then Jupiter gonna burnup and become 2nd star ! :/ When our sun reaches red giant phase Jupiter might only burn up and shed it's atmosphere if it's close enough, i doubt it. It's not massive enough nor have enough hydrogen to ignite nuclear fusion, there's still some debate as to whether it is a failed star or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 For Jupiter to even be a brown dwarf it would have to be at least 4x as massive as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frylock86 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I don't think Jupiter is a failed star. Like DocM said, it's just not massive enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 For Jupiter to even be a brown dwarf it would have to be at least 4x as massive as it is. Yes, but it is still eating ... :shifty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farstrider Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Light years is a measure of distance, not time. I was just about to say that! Correct me if I am wrong! I have always understood that light travels at approximately 186 000 miles per second. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, around 9461 billion kilometres, 5879 billion miles, or 0.3066 parsecs. So it follows that if the star exploded and it is 640 light-years from us, we would only see the result of that in 640 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 So it follows that if the star exploded and it is 640 light-years from us, we would only see the result of that in 640 years! Yes, but it could have gone nova, 639 years ago. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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