Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astroquizzical: What happens when Betelgeuse explodes?
Starts with a Bang! ^ | February 24, 2015 | Jillian Scudder

Posted on 02/25/2015 6:57:23 AM PST by C19fan

Question: If Betelgeuse explodes right now, could we see it with naked eye? It is over 400 light years away, so you might think that people would see it long after it actually happens? Betelgeuse is already one of the brightest stars in the night sky, sitting somewhere around the 8th or 9th brightest star in the night sky. (These lists don’t include the Sun, which is somewhat obviously always the brightest object in the sky.) It sits in the constellation Orion, along with a number of other bright stars, and makes up the left hand shoulder of the warrior. It looks visibly orange in the night sky, and is classified as a red supergiant star, in the later stages of its life. It’s also one of the few stars that’s close enough for us to resolve in more detail than a point source, and the pictures are pretty fun.

(Excerpt) Read more at medium.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: alphaorionis; betelgeuse; nova; orion; redgiant; redsupergiant; super; supernova; yadaljawza
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-32 next last

1 posted on 02/25/2015 6:57:23 AM PST by C19fan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Exactly how do you mean “we?” People here, now, today?


2 posted on 02/25/2015 6:58:53 AM PST by Gaffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

I don’t know. An angel gets its wings?


3 posted on 02/25/2015 7:00:37 AM PST by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
"Say that two more times."


4 posted on 02/25/2015 7:01:58 AM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

I’m worried about how I’m going to pay this month’s bills. I’ll lose sleep over the potential explosion of Betelguse later.


5 posted on 02/25/2015 7:02:32 AM PST by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

I would guess that anyone near it would get Betelguts all over them.


6 posted on 02/25/2015 7:02:48 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (True followers of Christ emulate Christ. True followers of Mohammed emulate Mohammed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

7 posted on 02/25/2015 7:03:26 AM PST by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
Interesting factoid. Our modest Sun would be invisible to the naked human eye from the vicinity of Beta Orionis (same star, less ridiculous and Michael Keaton-invoking name).

In fact, that horizon is only about fifty light years out, a very small distance, relatively speaking.

8 posted on 02/25/2015 7:04:46 AM PST by Prospero (Si Deus trucido mihi, ego etiam fides Deus.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

God will buy a new blender and keep on creating.


9 posted on 02/25/2015 7:05:26 AM PST by married21 ( As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

It gets beetle juice all over the place.


10 posted on 02/25/2015 7:08:15 AM PST by cripplecreek ("For by wise guidance you can wage your war")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

11 posted on 02/25/2015 7:12:51 AM PST by WakeUpAndVote
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Was this written by a third grader?


12 posted on 02/25/2015 7:13:07 AM PST by Born to Conserve
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
It's a VERY big boy!


13 posted on 02/25/2015 7:19:16 AM PST by JPG (The GOPe will always find a way to surrender)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Betelgeuse may be a red supergiant star at only 400 light years away, but VY Canis Majoris, a red hypergiant at 3,900 light years, is the biggest star that we know of.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VY_Canis_Majoris

In this video you’ll see the size comparisons of our planets and various stars.

Betelgeuse is almost the same size as Antares A that is in video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEheh1BH34Q

Antares: Betelgeuse’s Neglected Twin
http://www.aavso.org/vsots_alphasco


14 posted on 02/25/2015 7:20:13 AM PST by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine

Oh I don’t know. Uhura sang about Antares.


15 posted on 02/25/2015 7:25:13 AM PST by xp38
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

It exploded 399 years ago, stick around a few years and watch it when it gets here.


16 posted on 02/25/2015 7:27:07 AM PST by opbuzz (Right way, wrong way, Marine way)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
You should worry more about Klingons on Uranus

(sorry... i had to)

17 posted on 02/25/2015 7:29:33 AM PST by Mr. K (Palin/Cruz 2016 (for 16 years of conservative bliss))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

What happens is that we first get a big burst of Neutrinos (those detectors are gonna go wild...as far as neutrino detectors can go wild ).

It might get as bright as the article says and it will probably stay bright for a while, then Orion won’t look the same any more.

At a guess, the gas clouds in the area (Barnard’s loop and the like) will get blown away.

I’m waiting for Eta Carina to go myself. That could happen tomorrow for all we know.


18 posted on 02/25/2015 7:32:39 AM PST by Conan the Librarian (The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
The big worry is if Betelgeuse does explode and we finally see the supernova explosion, it could be accompanied by a HUGE burst of potentially deadly radiation--especially gamma rays. And that right there will essentially eliminate all life on Earth not living deep underground, effectively resetting the life cycle of evolution (one wonders if the massive die-off in life around 250 million years ago was caused by a nearby star exploding and showering the Earth's surface with deadly gamma rays).
19 posted on 02/25/2015 7:35:45 AM PST by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
That's when Ford Prefect starts singing the Betelgeuse Death Anthem.

Zaglabor astragard! Hootrimansion Bambriar! ......

20 posted on 02/25/2015 7:39:17 AM PST by uglybiker (nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-BATMAN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-32 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson