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The Death Star (Supernova close to Earth - could wipe us out)
thesun.co.uk ^ | Jan. 5, 2010 | PAUL SUTHERLAND

Posted on 01/05/2010 5:34:26 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY

A STAR primed to explode in a blast that could wipe out the Earth was revealed by astronomers yesterday.

It will self-destruct in an explosion called a supernova with the force of 20 billion billion billion megatons of TNT.

New studies show the star, called T Pyxidis, is much closer than previously thought at 3,260 light-years away - a short hop in galactic terms.

So the blast from the thermonuclear explosion could strip away our ozone layer that keeps out deadly space radiation. Life on Earth would then be frazzled.

The doomsday scenario was described yesterday by astronomers from Villanova University, Philadelphia, US.

They said the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite has shown them that T Pyxidis is really two stars, one called a white dwarf that is sucking in gas and steadily growing. When it reaches a critical mass it will blow itself to pieces.

It will become as bright as all the other stars in the galaxy put together and shine like a beacon halfway across the universe.

The experts said the Hubble space telescope has photographed the star gearing up for its big bang with a series of smaller blasts or "burps", called novas.

(Excerpt) Read more at thesun.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: catastrophism
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To: matt1234
Does this mean I won’t be getting a green job?

If you play your cards right, they just might hire you as a human shield. Lefties love that job.

41 posted on 01/05/2010 7:04:00 PM PST by MCH
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To: Free ThinkerNY

“The doomsday scenario was described yesterday by astronomers from Villanova University, Philadelphia, US.”

Isn’t Villanova a catholic school? Don’t they read the Bible at all? Either this supernova is not going to go off, or it will not do anything like what they are saying. The BOOK says that after the fast-approaching 7 years of Tribulation on this old battered planet, there will be the 1000 year reign of Christ, known as The Millennium.

I think I’ll choose to believe The BOOK rather than some apparently unbelieving backslid eggheads.


42 posted on 01/05/2010 7:20:56 PM PST by Tucker39 (I Tim. 1:15b " .....Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.")
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To: MCH

The problem is that the “poles” where gamma rays are emitted seem to be aligned with the Earth. The article didn’t really explain this. This close to the Earth, and at strengths of other gamma ray bursts that have been observed, this WOULD be bad.

OTOH, this sort of thing doesn’t seem to have happened to the Earth in a very long time - so why should it happen in the next 50 years?


43 posted on 01/05/2010 7:23:26 PM PST by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
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To: Crazieman

Agreed 3260 light years is a long, long way!


44 posted on 01/05/2010 7:32:04 PM PST by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: chimera
that gives us a few thousand years to come up with something. So,

Someone unclear with the concept.

The fact that it is 3260 LY away doesn't mean that we already received the email

It could have happened already 3259 years ago,and we would blissfully ignorant.

Doesn't that suck?

45 posted on 01/05/2010 7:40:42 PM PST by Publius6961 (Â…he's not America, he's an employee who hasn't risen to minimal expectations.)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Liberals think our world is a perfect place and only man can screw it up. They can not grasp the concept that we live on a violent and volatile planet that’s in a very violent and volatile galaxy. We’re here just for the ride and we can’t stop nothing catastrophic from happening and that includes climate change.


46 posted on 01/05/2010 8:16:21 PM PST by kempo
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To: Publius6961; GregoryFul; doc1019
Oops, yes, I forgot my basic relativity. Shows you what being out of the physics business for the last 20 years will do. *blush*

Now, if I can just get that warp drive thingy going, we'd have a little advanced warning. Didn't Beowulf Shaeffer pull a similar trick when he found out the galactic core exploded some 20,000 years prior to his starting out? Gave the inhabitants of Known Space a little heads-up (they weren't too worried, except the Puppeteers). Of course, he survived decapitation and a shot from an ARM punchgun, so he's a bit more resilient than most.

47 posted on 01/05/2010 9:19:57 PM PST by chimera
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To: whershey
I guess we don’t need to worry about conservation or climate change then, do we?

Heck, I'm gonna cash in my 401K and head for vegas.

48 posted on 01/05/2010 9:42:33 PM PST by LouAvul
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To: Free ThinkerNY

3,620 light years away? At the speed of light it will take 3,620 years before it hits us. Don’t know about you but I figure on being looooong gone by then.


49 posted on 01/05/2010 9:44:27 PM PST by pankot
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To: chimera

Never did understand why Hollywood never made a
Niven novel into a movie

My choice would be the Mote in Gods Eye


50 posted on 01/06/2010 7:29:36 AM PST by Harold Shea (RVN `70 - `71)
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To: Harold Shea

Probably too intense. They’d have to water it down so much it would be unrecognizable. Same with making a Bester novel into a movie.


51 posted on 01/06/2010 7:44:44 AM PST by chimera
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To: Nateman

The Crab Nebula was a Type II supernova, dangerous to Earth out to about 8 parsecs. This one will be a more violent Type 1a, dangerous out to about 1,000 parsecs.


52 posted on 01/06/2010 1:26:24 PM PST by LibWhacker (America awake!)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Actually, the right kind of supernova that close could pound the earth with high energy radiation for days, week, months, even longer. Every living thing would be dead in a few days, even even bacteria deep underground would be dead.

God can pull the plug on us anytime he wants.


53 posted on 01/06/2010 6:18:03 PM PST by Grig
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To: Free ThinkerNY

OMG!

IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT (AND I FEEL FINE)

Neat video and song at youtube :-)


54 posted on 01/07/2010 5:54:49 AM PST by Ronbo1948
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To: ezfindit

“END OF THE WORLD” - NYT

-”Women and minorities hit hardest.”


55 posted on 01/07/2010 5:57:12 AM PST by Ronbo1948
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To: Harold Shea
My choice would be the Mote in Gods Eye

A very good choice. Space opera at its finest!

56 posted on 04/05/2010 4:09:42 PM PDT by Max in Utah (A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within.)
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To: Max in Utah

Just got a new Niven novel today ...Building Harlequins Moon

Colaboration with a Brenda Cooper??? Just started it and looks like it going to be filled with lots of characters
and the detail that makes a Niven tale seem to come to life


57 posted on 04/06/2010 3:02:39 PM PDT by Harold Shea (RVN `70 - `71)
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