Posted on 01/20/2020 11:01:51 AM PST by Red Badger
Gravitational waves are caused by calamitous events in the Universe. Neutron stars that finally merge after circling each other for a long time can create them, and so can two black holes that collide with each other. But sometimes there's a burst of gravitational waves that doesn't have a clear cause.
One such burst was detected by LIGO/VIRGO on January 14, and it came from the same region of sky that hosts the star Betelgeuse. Yeah, Betelgeuse, aka Alpha Orionis. The star that has been exhibiting some dimming behaviour recently, and is expected to go supernova at some point in the future.
Might the two be connected?
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star in the constellation Orion. It left the main sequence about one million years ago and has been a red supergiant for about 40,000 years. Eventually, Betelgeuse will have burned enough of its hydrogen that its core will collapse, and it will explode as a supernova.
Recently, Betelgeuse dimmed. That set off all kinds of speculation that it might be getting ready to go supernova. Astrophysicists quickly poured water on that idea. There's no exact number, but it's estimated that Betelgeuse won't go supernova for another 100,000 years. But when a star dims, there's clearly something going on.
Is this new burst of gravitational waves connected to Betelgeuse's recent dimming? To its future supernova explosion?
Astronomers understand that Betelgeuse is a variable star, and its brightness can fluctuate. Stars like Betelgeuse aren't just static entities. It's a semi-regular variable star that shows both periodic and non-periodic changes in its brightness.
The kind of gravitational waves that LIGO detected are called burst waves. It's possible that a supernova could produce them, but Betelgeuse hasn't gone supernova and won't for a long time.
Some think that the detection of gravitational waves in Betelgeuse's direction is unrelated to the star itself. In fact, the detection of the burst waves may not have even been real.
Christopher Berry is an astrophysicist studying gravitational waves at Northwestern University's Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics. On Twitter he spoke up about the gravitational burst waves.
So there you have it. No supernova for now, anyway. The burst gravitational waves may just be a glitch, and Betelgeuse's dimming is well-understood and not a threat.
One day Betelgeuse will explode, and our night sky will change forever. But for us here on Earth, that supernova poses no problem.
An exploding star is an awesome event. And it produces a cataclysm of deadly radiation. X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, and even stellar material are ejected with great force. The deadliest radiation is gamma rays, and Betelgeuse likely won't even produce any of those when it blows.
But in any case, we're about 700 light years away from Betelgeuse, and that's way too much distance for us to worry.
The biggest fallout is that the Orion constellation will change forever. And there'll be a new object to study in the sky: a supernova remnant.
I never did trust the Betelgeuse. Sure, they make a fine chocolate but after the Congo thing I gave up on them.
A great collapsing Hrung disaster that no one could ever explain.
You must understand the gravity of the situation
I thought this was about Beetlejuice Green...
“The biggest fallout is that the Orion constellation will change forever.”
Will...hell, HAS already changed over 700 years ago.
It changes every minute of every day..................
I can just hear Rocky J. Squirrel saying “again?”
Betelgeuse is between us and an alien species that uses gravitational wave telescopes. They’re waiting for it to explode too and are just checking up on it.
Maybe they are MAKING IT EXPLODE................
This is the guy I think about when you talk about Betelgeuse.
"Draw a door. Knock three times."
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Zaphod Beeblebrox?
Without Betelgeuse, will Orion lose a leg?
Not quite. The fusion continues until iron starts being made. At that point you no longer release energy but consume it instead. With the fusion engine no longer propping up the star against its own gravity this instability makes the star explode.
That’s right!
President of the galaxy. Inventor of the Pan Galctic Gargle Blaster. And voted “Worst Dressed Sentient Being in the Known Universe” seven consecutive times.
Shoulder.....................
Actually the star exploded when the English navy defeated the French navy in the 1300’s. We’re just now learning of it because the fake news media ignored it at the time.
None of us will be alive to see the light from that supernova arrive here but it sure would be something to see.
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