Nearby Star May Be Getting Ready to Explode (Supernova)

Fox News ^ | June 10th, 2009

[TaraP]

A bright star may soon explode in a supernova, according to data released by U.C. Berkeley researchers Tuesday.

The red giant Betelgeuse, once so large it would reach out to Jupiter's orbit if placed in our own solar system, has shrunk by 15 percent over the past decade in a half, although it's just as bright as it's ever been.

"To see this change is very striking," said retired Berkeley physics professor Charles Townes, who won the 1964 Nobel Prize for inventing the laser. "We will be watching it carefully over the next few years to see if it will keep contracting or will go back up in size."

Betelgeuse, whose name derives from Arabic, is easily visible in the constellation Orion. It gave Michael Keaton's character his name in the movie "Beetlejuice" and was the home system of Galactic President Zaphod Beeblebrox in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[Wiseghy]

What, no Mike Keaton pics 2-nite?!

[TaraP]

MAYBE REVELATION 12:3

12:3 Behold a great red dragon. Another wonder is seen, also in the sky, a great serpent-like figure, red, with seven heads and ten horns.

This figure, we learn from Re 12:9 is a devilish manifestation. The devil uses it for his purposes.

The red color implies a persecuting power. Having seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads are explained in Re 17:9, where the seven-headed beast appears again, to be seven mountains, and also seven kingdoms; the ten horns are there said to be ten kingdoms which did not yet exist.

We have also this monster appearing substantially in Da 7:7. will here say that there is little doubt that it represents the persecuting powers of the earth which have opposed God and his Israel; the great world powers arrayed against God. This world power appears as Pagan Rome in the persecution of the Woman; the Church. The dragon was the standard of Pagan Rome in the third century, as testified by many ancient writers.

[JRandomFreeper]

It sure would be something to see in our lifetimes.

DUDE! I'm not living through 600+ more family reunions just to see a star blow up and gamma-burst humanity into crispy critters.

I've got some dying to do before then.

/johnny

[JRios1968]

[stormer]

Somebody call?

[Quix]

Hmmmmmmm

Thx.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Revelation wasn’t written to us, get over it.

[keepitreal]

Betelgeuse, whose name derives from Arabic, is easily visible in the constellation Orion. It gave Michael Keaton's character his name in the movie "Beetlejuice" and was the home system of Galactic President Zaphod Beeblebrox in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

Very informative, but when did fictional characters and "home systems" become the stuff of news?

[Nateman]

It means “arm pit” in Arabic since that’s where it is in Orion. If it becomes a Gamma ray burster and if it’s pointed our way, then even Obama will seem like chump change compared to what that would do!

[KarlInOhio]

This is a red SUPERgiant by the way, it will make Supernova 1054 pale by comparison. SN1054 could be seen during the daytime and cast shadows at night.

SN1054 was estimated at -6 magnitude. If Betelguese had the same absolute magnitude its aparent magnitude would be about -11 due to it being about one tenth the distance away. That is almost as bright as the full moon.

[Dallas59]

New taxes will have to be put into action!

[Nateman]

I might add that since gamma rays travel at the speed of light our first indication of them coming here is when they get here. For all we know they may already be on there way.

[null and void]

Revelation wasn’t written to us,

You hope...

[PrinterEagle]

"As the iron fuel runs out, it may explode into a supernova, blasting newly created elements out into the universe and leaving behind a small, incredibly dense neutron star.

All the heavier elements in the universe — including all the oxygen, carbon and iron in your own body — were created in such a way."

Two ways to read that... either we are made up of star dust or we are just a bunch of nuclear waste. ;-)

[BradyLS]

If so, the star, which is 600 light-years away, will already have exploded — and we'll soon be in for a spectacular, and perfectly safe, interstellar fireworks show.

Oh, I remember the huge night-time display that the mighty comet Kohoutek (sic?) was supposed bring us way back in the winter of '75(?).

"Oh, the night time skies will be lit with the bright tail of the comet as it makes its pass close to the Earth," they said.

Pheh! I didn't see CRAP!!!

[Anti-Hillary]

I come for your daughter Chuck!!!

[TaraP]

In ARABIC-The meaning of the name Betelgeuse is Hand Of The Central One Betelgeuse (pronounced /ˈbiːtəldʒuːz/ or /ˈbɛtəldʒuːz/[6]) (α Ori, α Orionis, Alpha Orionis) is a semiregular variable star located approximately 600 light-years away from Earth.[1][2] It is the second brightest star in the constellation Orion and the ninth brightest star in the night sky. Although Betelgeuse has the Bayer designation alpha, Rigel (Beta Orionis) is usually brighter (Betelgeuse is a variable star and is on occasion brighter than Rigel). The star is a vertex of the Winter Triangle asterism. Betelgeuse is a red supergiant, relatively luminous, and one of the largest stars known. For comparison, if the star were at the center of our solar system its surface might extend out to between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, wholly engulfing Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The angular diameter of Betelgeuse was first measured in 1920–1921 by Michelson and Pease using an astronomical interferometer on the Mount Wilson 100 inch telescope. Astronomers believe Betelgeuse is only a few million years old, but has evolved rapidly because of its high mass.[7] Some astronomers believe it may become a supernova within a timeframe where it could be observable by human civilization. Because of its rich reddish color the star has also been called "the martial one" and in astrology Betelgeuse portends military or civic honors. This bright star has had many other names: Al Dhira ("the Arm")[9] Al Mankib ("the Shoulder"),[9] Al Yad al Yamma ("the Right Hand"),[9] Ardra (Hindi[9], Bengali and name of Hindu Nakshatra), Bahu (Sanskrit),[9] Bašn (Persian) ("the Arm"), Ied Algeuze ("Orion's Hand"),[9] Klaria (Coptic) ("an Armlet")[9] Yedelgeuse In Chinese, Betelgeuse is known as 参宿四 (Shēnsùsì, the Fourth Star of the Constellation of Three Stars) because the Constellation of Three Stars was at first a name for only three stars in the girdle of the Orion. Four more stars were later added to this constellation but the earlier name stuck.

[null and void]

Pheh! I didn't see CRAP!!!

That's 'cuz you wuz looking up, not down...

[SoldierDad]

What a worm!! (Sort of like Letterman).