Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: RocketMan on February 13, 2020, 07:14:14 AM
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I didn't know Betelgeuse has been acting squirrely. There might be a big light show soon.
Here's an article from c/net. "Huge red star might explode soon and next few weeks are critical." (https://www.cnet.com/news/huge-red-star-might-explode-soon-and-next-few-weeks-are-critical/)
There is a second, earlier article below the first on the same topic.
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Well, if it goes, it'll give everyone in 1378 a great show! =D
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Been keeping an eye on it and yeah, it's noticeably dimmer if you're used to looking for it in the night sky. Hope if it does go it does during our winter since the constellation Orion is below the horizon during our (N. hemisphere) summer. Could be brighter than the full moon for a few months since Betelgeuse is only ~642ly away. But as far as when it goes it could some time between now and the next 100,000 years there is just so much we still don't know or are debating about stellar evolution and stars of this type. It could have gone 600 years ago actually and we don't know yet.
I'm sure someone will blame Trump if it goes soon.
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So you are saying that anytime from 642 years from now, Earth may be sterilized by a burst of radiation from the star exploding?
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So you are saying that anytime from 642 years from now, Earth may be sterilized by a burst of radiation from the star exploding?
It could have blown 642 years ago so maybe this afternoon. [popcorn]
Actually BJ is too far away and it's poles aren't orientated properly to pose much of a threat to earth. We'll get a light show and not much else. Sorry to disappoint
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Yeah, and the radiation from closer supernovae (50 light years or less) doesn't fry everyone directly anyway. What it does is strip electrons off the air create a bunch of NOx in the upper atmosphere, which then destroys the ozone layer, causing a UV damage and collapse in the food chain.
It's a lousy "Out with a whimper" rather than a "bang" kind of mass extinction.
Betelgeuse would be one hell of a show. My fingers are crossed that she blows. (or more appropriately, did blow 600 years ago)
Although the odds of it happening in our lifetimes are steeply against it. This Cnet article is the only one really hyping the chance this could be a precursor event to a supernova. And there's dozens of reasons that could be causing the dimming, but have nothing to do with an imminent explosion. An overlap in the star's various variability cycles, an ejected shell of dust and gas dimming the star, or maybe we're seeing it eat one of it's orbiting planets. Also the star isn't very "round" more like a hot bulgy irregular little nebula about the size of Jupiter's orbit around our sun, with the various sides bubbling up and falling back. So it could just be a big "dent" or something on the side pointed to us making it appear dimmer too.
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I loved the statement I saw that we don't really have tenses in our language to describe how we are waiting to find out if something happened hundreds of years ago.
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I think what's talked about is Betelgeuese going super nova.
Supernovas don't necessarily become gamma ray bursters. If a gamma ray burster were to hit earth directly, it could be an extinction event, and not a slow one, either.
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This is not the extinction level event you were looking for
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I think what's talked about is Betelgeuese going super nova.
Supernovas don't necessarily become gamma ray bursters. If a gamma ray burster were to hit earth directly, it could be an extinction event, and not a slow one, either.
GRB's are probably associated with supermassive Wolf Rayet stars going nova, and the black hole or neutron star forming even faster than the explosion of the star reaches it's surface. And the GRB is a jet coming out of the rotational axes. Or it's the collision of binary neutron stars, or a supermassive black hole eating a star, causing it to reform it's axial jet that happens to be pointed at Earth, or more appropriately the entire Milky Way.
The good news is that GRB's, despite seeing them all over the sky are rare, they come from galaxies billions of light years away. Meaning you've got to look at several million galaxies to see one. So the good news is that a GRB in the Milky Way that can actually directly "cook" the Earth with gamma exposure is pretty long odds of happening, and that the odds the jet just so happened to be lined up with the Solar System makes the odds even longer.
The concentrations of Iron 60, associated with cosmic rays, in strata 2.6 million years ago could be linked to a mass extinction caused by a nearby supernova around that time.
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It could have blown 642 years ago so maybe this afternoon. [popcorn]
Actually BJ is too far away and it's poles aren't orientated properly to pose much of a threat to earth. We'll get a light show and not much else. Sorry to disappoint
dammit.
(kicks grass)
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Yeah but the backup plan was Corona, so it's all good.
We're doomed!
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dammit.
(kicks grass)
:laugh:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=299knTdX-Wo
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Where's my star shattering kaboom? I was told there'd be a star shattering kaboom!
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I got my big pants pulled out waiting for the gamma rays. Don't make me angry e, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.
I hate not having a lap op so I can see what I type
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...
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Be wild to experience a crab nebula type event, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.
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Be wild to experience a crab nebula type event, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.
Drop the nebula part and I am sure you can find someone to help you with a crab event.
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Drop the nebula part and I am sure you can find someone to help you with a crab event.
Insert obvious sister comment here. :rofl: :rofl:
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Put away the Super Nova Tan Lotion it may be just dust
https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso2003d/
Betelgeuse Status
https://twitter.com/betelbot?lang=en
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Betelgeuse Major Update: We May Have An Explanation Now! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKO-ktyPS-k)
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And that link that I was just getting ready to post. Getting slow in my old age.
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There's a bunch of horsehockey in that video. Everyone knows it's
global warming climate change causing Betelgeuse to act strangely.
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There's a bunch of horsehockey in that video. Everyone knows it's global warming climate change Trump causing Betelgeuse to act strangely.
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New data suggests Huuuugge
Tracts of Land Starspot(s) were responsible for the diimming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvaOKpc_lLo
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Aaaaand it's dimming again and they don't know why, yet, maybe.
I think Betelgeuse is partying like it's 2020
NASA Satellite’s Lone View of Betelgeuse Reveals More Strange Behavior
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-satellite-s-lone-view-of-betelgeuse-reveals-more-strange-behavior
NASA Satellite’s Lone View of Betelgeuse Reveals More Strange Behavior
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9sohftvKe8
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The news might be a bit more disturbing if Beetle Juice was living in your attic. [popcorn]
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*
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Me opening this thread again:
Oh yeah, the actual star, not the Chicago mayor.
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Now here's an interesting theory, gravity darkening caused by a wandering black hole.
Betelgeuse's mysterious 'Great Dimming' may have been triggered by a wandering black hole
https://www.space.com/betelgeuse-great-dimming-passing-star-explained
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And it's acting squirrelly again. This time getting brighter.
Betelgeuse’s Brightening Raises Hopes for a Supernova Spectacle
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/betelgueses-brightening-raises-hopes-for-a-supernova-spectacle/
What?! Betelgeuse Is Doing Something Weird Again and Nobody Knows Why
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOsBvxuqKIk
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From the title, I thought this was going to be about a new "eco-friendly" health drink approved and endorsed by the people pushing the Green New Deal. [barf]
:rofl:
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From the title, I thought this was going to be about a new "eco-friendly" health drink approved and endorsed by the people pushing the Green New Deal. [barf]
:rofl:
I thought it would be about the now-departed Loony Lori. :rofl:
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Another Red Giant acting like Betelgeuse
One of the Largest Stars Known Dimmed Just Like Betelgeuse - Solving a Major Mystery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z83lEdDgHRw
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Another Red Giant acting like Betelgeuse
One of the Largest Stars Known Dimmed Just Like Betelgeuse - Solving a Major Mystery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z83lEdDgHRw
I'm having a hard time understanding that guy's whatever-it-is accent. Is it just my old ears, or what? It's almost like he overcame a prior speech impediment, but not 100%.
???
Terry
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I'm having a hard time understanding that guy's whatever-it-is accent. Is it just my old ears, or what? It's almost like he overcame a prior speech impediment, but not 100%.
???
Terry
English is his native language, Terry. But Russian is also listed as his native language. He was born in the USA, but I'm guessing from Russian émigré parents. Perhaps he spoke mostly Russian in the home as a kid.
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OK, thanks. Frankly, I'm starting to think I could use some hearing assistance after 60 yrs of sometimes unprotected gunfire.
Spacibo
Terry
(https://2ahawaii.com/Smileys/extended/stopjack.gif)