Posted on 12/11/2004 11:15:46 AM PST by SamAdams76
RE "No, it's a George Harrison song along with "While my Guitar Gently Weeps."
Ahhh. That makes more sense. It just doesn't sound like a McCartney tune, so I leapt to the conclusion that it was a Lennon tune. Thanks for the clarification.
RE "I'm pretty sure it would expand and go supernova "
Expand yes. Supernova NO. Our sun is too small to fuse the heavy elements that are required to cause a supernova. I forget which elements bigger than helium can be fused by a star the size of our sun, but eventually it'll just burn out and be a dense cinder.
Since that was obviously directed at me...
Yeah, to the best of my knowledge, the physics of stars the size of our sun is well understood and is described in any Astromony 101 class.
Neutrinos are a problem. And since I am definately not an expert, I don't claim to understand the physics behind the creation of neutrinos. I also don't claim to understand the physics of the big bang, but the physics there are also way out of the realm of the simple fusion processes that occurs in the sun.
True fact: A human being generates 5000 times more heat per unit mass than the sun.
100 watts/ 100 kg = 1 watt/kg
4e26 watts / 2e30 kg = 0.0002 watts/kg
The good news is that a comet or large asteroid will likely wipe out most of the life on earth well before the sun goes out.
Earth with no sun.
Vacation in Miami, back-lit by the glowing gas they pump into the air for light.
If one were to listen carefully from just a bit afar, one would hear a big sigh as Gaia finally goes back to rest.
With my luck it would happen at midnight.
I would have to go back to using a battery powered watch instead of my solar powered one.
Probably about the same as a rat turd dropped in an hourglass.
That was one of the best Twilight Zones, although the main premise was that the earth was moving towards the sun (the main character was dreaming this, in reality, it was moving away from the sun, freezing everything out).
Sam, let's suppose you had a redneck-buddy on the other side who would, on the count of three and a toss of the beer can leap inside simultaneously with your ground-breaking experiment, what then?
IIRC, it's Hydrogen to Helium.
Helium to Carbon and Oxygen.
Carbon and Oxygen to Iron.
Iron is the absolute end.
1.44 solar masses is the Chandrasekhar limit. Below that is too little mass to generate a supernova.
K.....knew it was something like that, it's only been 40 years since I watched it LOL
You sure this wasn't the M&M's factory?
Yawn...yesterday's news...the sun went out several weeks ago. I haven't seen it here in New France (formerly known as New England) since.
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