Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Stardust and Betelgeuse

NASA ^ | June 28, 2011 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: An expansive nebula of dust is seen to surround red supergiant star Betegeuse in this remarkable high resolution composite, an infrared VLT image from the European Southern Observatory. Betelgeuse itself is outlined by the small, central red circle. If found in our own solar system its diameter would almost encompass the orbit of Jupiter. But the larger envelope of circumstellar dust extends some 60 billion kilometers into space, equivalent to about 400 times the Earth-Sun distance. The dust is likely formed as the swollen atmosphere of the supergiant sheds material into space, a final phase in the evolution of a massive star. Mixing with the interstellar medium, the dust could ultimately form rocky terrestrial planets like Earth. The central bright portion of the outer image has been masked to reveal fainter extended structures. The field of view is 5.63 arcseconds across.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: ESO, Pierre Kervella (LESIA, Observatoire de Paris), et al.]

[SunkenCiv]

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[tlb]

For scale, our Sun is the pixel sized dot on the lower left side. When Betelgeuse goes nova, we won't have night again for weeks at least. And this could already have occurred anytime in the last six centuries and we wouldn't yet realize it.

[Ken522]

Thanks for the size-comparison graphic, tlb. We look at the sun all day long without realizing things like this ...

[RayChuang88]

One of the BIG concerns is that both Betelgeuse and Antares--both just over 600 light years away from our Sun--may have gone supernova and we don't know it yet. But if it's a supernova explosion, our Solar System could be showered with a big blast of X-ray and other radiation, which could be lethal to life on the Earth's surface and possibly a couple of hundred feet beneath the ocean surface. In short, it could set back the evolution of life on Earth back to beginning of the Paleozoic era, when only simple multicellular lifeforms existed!

[cripplecreek]

Everything is bigger in VY Canis Majoris.

[RadiationRomeo]

“X-Ray doom”

Would the x-rays last just a few weeks?
Would we observe some Betelgeuse preparatory changes or would they arrive without warning?

[Louis Foxwell]

Our discoveries of the magnificence of space stretch our minds beyond their ability to comprehend. Even our entire planetary system is a spec of dust compared to true giants in our galaxy.

[cripplecreek]

That's why VY Canis Majoris is listed as the most massive known star.

[agere_contra]

That ... is GIGA HUGE.

[agere_contra]

‘Canis Majoris’ really is a Big Dog.

[cripplecreek]

Good video size comparison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20eJJSQvgwE&feature=player_embedded

[agere_contra]

Thanks! I’ll check that out when I get home tonight.

[Erik Latranyi]

...our Solar System could be showered with a big blast of X-ray and other radiation, which could be lethal to life on the Earth's surface and possibly a couple of hundred feet beneath the ocean surface. In short, it could set back the evolution of life on Earth back to beginning of the Paleozoic era, when only simple multicellular lifeforms existed!

As long as all the liberals are eradicated with us, it is a positive change!

[tlb]

>>> But if it’s a supernova explosion, our Solar System could be showered with a big blast of X-ray and other radiation, which could be lethal to life on the Earth’s surface

No.

Since its rotational axis is not pointed toward the Earth, Betelgeuse’s supernova is unlikely to send a gamma ray burst in the direction of Earth large enough to damage ecosystems.[95] The flash of ultraviolet radiation from the explosion will likely be weaker than the ultraviolet output of the Sun.

[Larry Lucido]

Nope, unfortunately, the simple multicellular life forms survive. That would include many democratic voters and Berkeley residents.

[Larry Lucido]

I’m sure Karl Rove is working on a rotational axis readjuster as we speak.

That said, I’m wondering why a nearby system would not be in greater danger if it lay on a path perpendicular to the rotational axis. Obviously, my knowledge of astrophysics is limited.

[JRios1968]

It's showtime

[apillar]

There was something about this on the Science Channel a while back, as I recall Betelgeuse poses no threat to us, but if it goes Supernova in our lifetime (or more appropriately if the light from the supernova reaches us during our lifetime), we will be in for one heck of a light show, it is projected to be brighter than a full moon and gradually get dimmer over the course of about six months. But for several weeks at its peak, there will be virtually no night with the sky not getting darker than early twilight.

[JoeProBono]