Discussion
Wrong place probably, but I read this today in the papers.
A ‘SECOND SUN’ IS ON THER WAY
Our planet could soon have a second sun, at least for a week or two.
The cosmic phenomenon will happen when one of the brightest stars in the night sky explodes into a supernova.
And, it was claimed yesterday, the most stunning light show in the planet’s history could be played out later this year.
Earth will undoubtedly have a front row seat when the dying red supergiant star Betelgeuse finally blows itself into oblivion.
The explosion will be so bright that even though the star in the Orion constellation is 640 light years away, it will still turn night into day and appear like there are two suns in the sky for a few weeks.
The only real debate is over exactly when it will happen.
In stellar terms, Betelgeuse is predicted to crash and burn in the very near future.
However, Brad Carter, senior lecturer of physics at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, said yesterday that means the galactic blast could happen before 2012 – or at any time over the next million years.
Now excuse me, but I don't teach physics, or any other complitated stuff, but if this star goes supernova, and is 640 light years away, we won't see it for 640 years will we? or is the papers misquoting again, and then to cap it all, Brad Carter says it could happen before 2012 (Next year) or at any time over the next million years, how precise is that
or is 1st April already?
A ‘SECOND SUN’ IS ON THER WAY
Our planet could soon have a second sun, at least for a week or two.
The cosmic phenomenon will happen when one of the brightest stars in the night sky explodes into a supernova.
And, it was claimed yesterday, the most stunning light show in the planet’s history could be played out later this year.
Earth will undoubtedly have a front row seat when the dying red supergiant star Betelgeuse finally blows itself into oblivion.
The explosion will be so bright that even though the star in the Orion constellation is 640 light years away, it will still turn night into day and appear like there are two suns in the sky for a few weeks.
The only real debate is over exactly when it will happen.
In stellar terms, Betelgeuse is predicted to crash and burn in the very near future.
However, Brad Carter, senior lecturer of physics at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, said yesterday that means the galactic blast could happen before 2012 – or at any time over the next million years.
Now excuse me, but I don't teach physics, or any other complitated stuff, but if this star goes supernova, and is 640 light years away, we won't see it for 640 years will we? or is the papers misquoting again, and then to cap it all, Brad Carter says it could happen before 2012 (Next year) or at any time over the next million years, how precise is that
or is 1st April already?Vipers said:
Now excuse me, but I don't teach physics, or any other complitated stuff, but if this star goes supernova, and is 640 light years away, we won't see it for 640 years will we?)
I think the point is that it may have already happened, 639 years ago.Chances are, of course, that it hasn't.
mnkiboy said:
Vipers said:
Now excuse me, but I don't teach physics, or any other complitated stuff, but if this star goes supernova, and is 640 light years away, we won't see it for 640 years will we?)
I think the point is that it may have already happened, 639 years ago.Chances are, of course, that it hasn't.
Vipers said:
mnkiboy said:
Vipers said:
Now excuse me, but I don't teach physics, or any other complitated stuff, but if this star goes supernova, and is 640 light years away, we won't see it for 640 years will we?)
I think the point is that it may have already happened, 639 years ago.Chances are, of course, that it hasn't.
Our current understanding of physics would suggest that it will explode during the near cosmological future - say 5,000,000 years. So we have roughly one in 5m chance of it happening in the next year (as reported). Of course, our current understanding may well be wrong.
Betweed 1006 AD and 1604, 5 supernovae occurred in the Milky Way which were visible to the naked eye. That is an average of one every 120 years. We now haven't had one for over 400 years, so we do seem to be a bit overdue.
Don
--
A likely candidate for the next galactic supernova, perhaps the best, is eta carinae. It's estimated to be 120 to 150 Mo (the mass of the Sun) and 4 million times brighter than the Sun, one of the most luminous stars as well as one of the most massive. Supermassive stars are the shortest 'lived'.
For comparison Betelgeuse is estimated to be 20 to 30 Mo
If eta carinae does go pop sooner - or later - the southern hemisphere will see it as it's near the southern cross, but the entire planet could be treated to a cosmic ray winter or two courtesy of either star, just what we need with a Dalton Minimum on the cards.
For comparison Betelgeuse is estimated to be 20 to 30 Mo
If eta carinae does go pop sooner - or later - the southern hemisphere will see it as it's near the southern cross, but the entire planet could be treated to a cosmic ray winter or two courtesy of either star, just what we need with a Dalton Minimum on the cards.
Also depending on the time of the year it won't appear like there are two suns in the sky at the same time, if it happens this time of year then we would have the supernova at night and then our sun by day, not sure Orion would be visible from this lat during the summer. Someone will come along in a minute and correct me I am sure.
There's nothing to suggest it will go nova next year. It could be next year, it could be in a million years. We don't know.
Oh and the sky won't have a "second sun", when it goes nova it'll be about as bright as a full moon, so a tiny point of light in the sky, nothing more.
s
t reporting all around.
Oh and the sky won't have a "second sun", when it goes nova it'll be about as bright as a full moon, so a tiny point of light in the sky, nothing more.
s
t reporting all around.Parrot of Doom said:
There's nothing to suggest it will go nova next year. It could be next year, it could be in a million years. We don't know.
Oh and the sky won't have a "second sun", when it goes nova it'll be about as bright as a full moon, so a tiny point of light in the sky, nothing more.
st reporting all around.
How big would the disc of light appear compared to the sun or moon? Oh and the sky won't have a "second sun", when it goes nova it'll be about as bright as a full moon, so a tiny point of light in the sky, nothing more.
s
t reporting all around.Two suns? I haven't seen the one we've got for two fking weeks.
king weeks.Vipers said:
Now excuse me, but I don't teach physics, or any other complitated stuff, but if this star goes supernova, and is 640 light years away, we won't see it for 640 years will we?
Gotta love journalists, they really know their stuff. Yes, if we see something now and it's 640 light years away then it happened 1371.During the Stargazing live programme that the BBC broadcast a couple of weeks ago I seem to remember Prof Brian Cox making some throwaway comment about Betelgeuse about to go supernova and mentioning the 2 suns thing so I do wonder whether that is where this story has come from. It seems to me to be a bit too much of a coincidence.
LeoSayer said:
It also happens to be so big that it's diameter would extend past Jupiter if it took the place of our sun.
I always think this giff illustrates our insignificance rather well...
Looks like embedding didn't work, here's the link: http://www.gifbin.com/bin/1232024489_The_size_of_p... wait a sec or two for it to load...
Edited by Bacardi on Sunday 23 January 12:27
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