WE ARE IN NO DANGER, EVER, FROM BETELGEUSE.
September 10, 2014 11:47 PM Subscribe
Worried about when Betelgeuse will go supernova? Worry no more.
What? Me worry?
posted by carping demon at 12:01 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by carping demon at 12:01 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Are we in danger? How much danger are we in?
posted by univac at 12:02 AM on September 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by univac at 12:02 AM on September 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
Damn! That's another five bucks I owe my sister. Sure they can't scale up the timeline and intensity so we're going to be incinerated next year?
Seriously, it's an interesting article, but there's a lot of caveats and best estimations in there. While this may be the best estimation yet, it's still not definite. There's a chance I can still win my bet.
posted by happyroach at 12:05 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Seriously, it's an interesting article, but there's a lot of caveats and best estimations in there. While this may be the best estimation yet, it's still not definite. There's a chance I can still win my bet.
posted by happyroach at 12:05 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Betelguese? ...Is that the sort of thing you're likely to say?
posted by BiggerJ at 12:06 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by BiggerJ at 12:06 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
Betegeuse isn't the one I'm worried about. That would be Eta Carinae, which is going to pop a lot sooner.
Betelgeuse is between 8 and 20 solar masses. Eta Carinae is somewhere between 100 and 150 solar masses. Betelgeuse is expected to become a supernova, but Eta Carinae will be a hypernova, which makes an ordinary supernova look like a wet firecracker.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:39 AM on September 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
Betelgeuse is between 8 and 20 solar masses. Eta Carinae is somewhere between 100 and 150 solar masses. Betelgeuse is expected to become a supernova, but Eta Carinae will be a hypernova, which makes an ordinary supernova look like a wet firecracker.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:39 AM on September 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
I wish Betlegeuse would go Supernova, 640 years ago.
posted by vapidave at 12:46 AM on September 11, 2014 [15 favorites]
posted by vapidave at 12:46 AM on September 11, 2014 [15 favorites]
I'm more concerned about dinner burning in the oven when I forget to set the timer and get distracted.
posted by Pudhoho at 12:47 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Pudhoho at 12:47 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
I wish Betlegeuse would go Supernova, 640 years ago.
Yep. This article just made me sad.
posted by Jimbob at 1:09 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yep. This article just made me sad.
posted by Jimbob at 1:09 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
At more than 10x the distance of Eta Carinae you'd need 100x the boom to get the same effect. Given that "These events were described as hypernovae and varied from less than five to around 50 times as energetic as other supernovae..." I wouldn't exactly start making plans for the end just now.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 1:13 AM on September 11, 2014
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 1:13 AM on September 11, 2014
I had never thought about which direction Orion is facing. "Remember, he's facing us." I'm suddenly unsettled. The Hunter is staring right at us!
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 1:58 AM on September 11, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 1:58 AM on September 11, 2014 [7 favorites]
Kid Charlemagne: according to the article - it's 1/10th the distance (650 ly compared to Eta Carinae's ~7500), meaning you'd need less than 1/100th "the boom", no?
Also, HOLY FUCK this from the Eta Carinae WP article:
"A supernova or hypernova produced by Eta Carinae would probably eject a gamma ray burst (GRB) out from both polar areas of its rotational axis. Calculations show that the deposited energy of such a GRB striking the Earth's atmosphere would be equivalent to one kiloton of TNT per square kilometer over the entire hemisphere facing the star, with ionizing radiation depositing ten times the lethal whole body dose to the surface.[30] This catastrophic burst would probably not hit Earth, though, because the rotation axis does not currently point towards our solar system. If Eta Carinae is a binary system, this may affect the future intensity and orientation of the supernova explosion that it produces, depending on the circumstances.[13]"
How very reassuring.
posted by Ryvar at 2:05 AM on September 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
Also, HOLY FUCK this from the Eta Carinae WP article:
"A supernova or hypernova produced by Eta Carinae would probably eject a gamma ray burst (GRB) out from both polar areas of its rotational axis. Calculations show that the deposited energy of such a GRB striking the Earth's atmosphere would be equivalent to one kiloton of TNT per square kilometer over the entire hemisphere facing the star, with ionizing radiation depositing ten times the lethal whole body dose to the surface.[30] This catastrophic burst would probably not hit Earth, though, because the rotation axis does not currently point towards our solar system. If Eta Carinae is a binary system, this may affect the future intensity and orientation of the supernova explosion that it produces, depending on the circumstances.[13]"
How very reassuring.
posted by Ryvar at 2:05 AM on September 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
Betelgeuse is one of my winter chants. I look into the sky and recite Betelgeuse Bellatrix Rigel Saiph Alnitak Alnilam Mintaka. I'm glad I'll die before Betelgeuse does.
posted by pracowity at 2:17 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 2:17 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
You know, I read an article like this a while ago, well, in lost Lemuria, and it was talking about Azathoth, not Betelgeuse. Boy, was the author's face red when she discovered how wrong she was.
Well, in the brief time she still had a face. And understanding.
I'm just saying, Don't be so sanguine!
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:55 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
Well, in the brief time she still had a face. And understanding.
I'm just saying, Don't be so sanguine!
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:55 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
Rest assured, I am fully exsanguinated.
posted by Ryvar at 3:07 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Ryvar at 3:07 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
Slate is really scraping the bottom of the iconoclasm barrel if they're running Your Favorite Apocalyptic Supernova Sucks articles.
posted by Etrigan at 3:26 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 3:26 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
But, you're saying that this would not be the optimum target for generation ships to start towards?
posted by sammyo at 3:51 AM on September 11, 2014
posted by sammyo at 3:51 AM on September 11, 2014
Well, it's off to think of the 9,99999 other ways we are fucked.
posted by angrycat at 3:55 AM on September 11, 2014
posted by angrycat at 3:55 AM on September 11, 2014
Next up on Fox: Is Obama doing enough to stop the Betelgeuse threat? We'll talk to Senator John McCain...
posted by PlusDistance at 3:56 AM on September 11, 2014 [19 favorites]
posted by PlusDistance at 3:56 AM on September 11, 2014 [19 favorites]
I've already started prepping for the Betelgeuse supernova.
My entire basement is full of canned beans. I'm not sure if this is the right way to prep for this catastrophe.
Any Metafilter preppers with advice???
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:03 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
My entire basement is full of canned beans. I'm not sure if this is the right way to prep for this catastrophe.
Any Metafilter preppers with advice???
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:03 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
For supernovae survival, what you'll need to do is to stock up on lima beans, but avoid refried beans. Fava beans are also not a great idea. I could tell you why, but you really don't want to know. You will also need some tin foil, a dual-phase harmonic oscillation overthruster (remember, no one in Dimension X has ever regretted buying Yoyodyne products), a positron beam in the 100 MeV range, some silly putty, and a small length of string. When the time comes, you'll understand. When the neutrino pulse hits, whatever you do and no matter what the nice old man with the blue coat says, do not agree to buy a timeshare.
Trust me, I'm a doctor.
posted by physicsmatt at 4:29 AM on September 11, 2014 [15 favorites]
Trust me, I'm a doctor.
posted by physicsmatt at 4:29 AM on September 11, 2014 [15 favorites]
Get solar panels AND radiation deflectors along with Penthouse on DVD.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:35 AM on September 11, 2014
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:35 AM on September 11, 2014
.
For the Prefect family, their friends, and neighbors.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:37 AM on September 11, 2014 [5 favorites]
For the Prefect family, their friends, and neighbors.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:37 AM on September 11, 2014 [5 favorites]
a positron beam in the 100 MeV range, some silly putty, and a small length of string
People mock me for hoarding tools like these. But when the shit hits the fan, I know how to use tools like these to survive. For example, I can use a positron beam in the 100 MeV range and a small length of string to open a can of tuna.
Do you know how to do that? No, of course you don't. That's why knowledgeable people like me will survive the coming Betelgeuse apocalypse, and the rest of you will still be wondering how to pronounce Betelgeuse.
Betelgeuse. Beetlejuice. BettleGoyce. Buttjuice. Whatever.
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:43 AM on September 11, 2014
People mock me for hoarding tools like these. But when the shit hits the fan, I know how to use tools like these to survive. For example, I can use a positron beam in the 100 MeV range and a small length of string to open a can of tuna.
Do you know how to do that? No, of course you don't. That's why knowledgeable people like me will survive the coming Betelgeuse apocalypse, and the rest of you will still be wondering how to pronounce Betelgeuse.
Betelgeuse. Beetlejuice. BettleGoyce. Buttjuice. Whatever.
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:43 AM on September 11, 2014
Betelgeuse will go boom in about 100,000 years.
Wow. That’s sooner than I would have thought. It’s still a long way off, of course, but in a galactic sense that’s a blink of the eye.
...
It’ll be bright, as bright as the full Moon!
What's the likely duration of a supernova explosion? If 100,000 years is the blink of an eye, will Earth have brightly lit nights for several years?
posted by jon1270 at 4:55 AM on September 11, 2014
Wow. That’s sooner than I would have thought. It’s still a long way off, of course, but in a galactic sense that’s a blink of the eye.
...
It’ll be bright, as bright as the full Moon!
What's the likely duration of a supernova explosion? If 100,000 years is the blink of an eye, will Earth have brightly lit nights for several years?
posted by jon1270 at 4:55 AM on September 11, 2014
striking the Earth's atmosphere would be equivalent to one kiloton of TNT per square kilometer over the entire hemisphere facing the star, with ionizing radiation depositing ten times the lethal whole body dose to the surface.
The chance of η Carinae having a GRB head our way is very, very low, because the spin axis is pointed the wrong way. The biggest worry we have for a GRB hit is WR 104, who's spin axis is currently believed to be about 35° off from pointed directly at earth, and was once believed to be closer -- the data is hazy, though.
If the GRB that WR 104 will produce happens to be earth directed, it could cause real problems. Since WR 104 is 8000ly away, it will cause real problems 8000+ years after it hyper novas.
Of course, it could have done that 7999 years ago and we wouldn't know it yet.
Currently, we don't see any major hyper nova threats. η Carinae going, however, would produce a hell of a lightshow in the southern skies.
posted by eriko at 5:01 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
The chance of η Carinae having a GRB head our way is very, very low, because the spin axis is pointed the wrong way. The biggest worry we have for a GRB hit is WR 104, who's spin axis is currently believed to be about 35° off from pointed directly at earth, and was once believed to be closer -- the data is hazy, though.
If the GRB that WR 104 will produce happens to be earth directed, it could cause real problems. Since WR 104 is 8000ly away, it will cause real problems 8000+ years after it hyper novas.
Of course, it could have done that 7999 years ago and we wouldn't know it yet.
Currently, we don't see any major hyper nova threats. η Carinae going, however, would produce a hell of a lightshow in the southern skies.
posted by eriko at 5:01 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
What's the likely duration of a supernova explosion?
Historical records show that the supernova which created the Crab Nebula lit up the sky really brightly for a few weeks and was still obnoxiously bright for a few months.
posted by localroger at 5:02 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
Historical records show that the supernova which created the Crab Nebula lit up the sky really brightly for a few weeks and was still obnoxiously bright for a few months.
posted by localroger at 5:02 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
Supernova? Oh geez, I don't know. I mean, it's kind of a big decision isn't it? I mean, I always said if I ever did it, I was gonna do it once and that was it.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:11 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:11 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
was still obnoxiously bright for a few months
Which is disappointing. Is that the best we can expect from a "Super" something?
This Universe disappoints me every day.
posted by twoleftfeet at 5:11 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Which is disappointing. Is that the best we can expect from a "Super" something?
This Universe disappoints me every day.
posted by twoleftfeet at 5:11 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm glad we can stick to just worrying about the supervolcano, meteors, global food riots, and Skynet.
posted by Foosnark at 5:14 AM on September 11, 2014
posted by Foosnark at 5:14 AM on September 11, 2014
Slate is really scraping the bottom of the iconoclasm barrel if they're running Your Favorite Apocalyptic Supernova Sucks articles.
Slate is the bottom of the barrel man
posted by grobstein at 5:35 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Slate is the bottom of the barrel man
posted by grobstein at 5:35 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Ryvar: "one kiloton of TNT per square kilometer over the entire hemisphere facing the star"
SCORPIO
Homer, what's your favorite
hemisphere, Eastern or Western?
HOMER
Um, Eastern.
SCORPIO
(snickering)
Nobody ever says Western.
Scorpio presses a button and looks outside.
INT. ETA CARINAE SYSTEM
STAR
Boom!posted by Riki tiki at 5:51 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites] What happens if we get hit with a Champagne Supernova?
At least we will know it came from up in the sky.
posted by Twain Device at 5:59 AM on September 11, 2014
At least we will know it came from up in the sky.
posted by Twain Device at 5:59 AM on September 11, 2014
When it comes to Betelgeusian disasters I am more concerned about collapsing Hrungs.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:03 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:03 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
My entire basement is full of canned beans. I'm not sure if this is the right way to prep for this catastrophe.
You will also need plates.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 6:18 AM on September 11, 2014 [8 favorites]
You will also need plates.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 6:18 AM on September 11, 2014 [8 favorites]
"Kid Charlemagne: according to the article - it's 1/10th the distance (650 ly compared to Eta Carinae's ~7500), meaning you'd need less than 1/100th "the boom", no? - Ryvar."
I'm curious about this as well. I think I might be coming at this backwards. I can kind of intuit that the energy recieved is "inversely proportional to the square of the distance". A pic.
So how powerful would an Eta Carinae supernova - being 7500 light years away have to be to equal, in recieved radiation, a Betelgeuse supernova at 650 light years her on earth?
/math dropout
posted by vapidave at 6:24 AM on September 11, 2014
I'm curious about this as well. I think I might be coming at this backwards. I can kind of intuit that the energy recieved is "inversely proportional to the square of the distance". A pic.
So how powerful would an Eta Carinae supernova - being 7500 light years away have to be to equal, in recieved radiation, a Betelgeuse supernova at 650 light years her on earth?
/math dropout
posted by vapidave at 6:24 AM on September 11, 2014
Now that I'm old, I look back on some of the supernovae I've known. I was there for SN 1987A which was a great supenova. I met Sally during that supernova, and we fell in love.
We had some good times. We were together from 1993J till 2003fg. But we could never reach the depth of SN 1054 and in the end, we decided that everything we built was just a remnant, like RX_J0852.0-4622.
posted by twoleftfeet at 6:33 AM on September 11, 2014 [5 favorites]
We had some good times. We were together from 1993J till 2003fg. But we could never reach the depth of SN 1054 and in the end, we decided that everything we built was just a remnant, like RX_J0852.0-4622.
posted by twoleftfeet at 6:33 AM on September 11, 2014 [5 favorites]
Goddammit... I see the word octillion in print and it's the only word I'll want to use for a month. This thing weighs an octillion pounds! Man this car musta cost an octillion bucks! I'll have the octillion with clams. I think I pulled my octillion.
posted by SharkParty at 6:40 AM on September 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by SharkParty at 6:40 AM on September 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
twoleftfeet: "This Universe disappoints me every day."
New favorite whine!
posted by arkham_inmate_0801 at 6:43 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
New favorite whine!
posted by arkham_inmate_0801 at 6:43 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hold out hope, people. It might have gone supernova 639 years ago and we just don't know about it yet.
posted by Curious Artificer at 6:48 AM on September 11, 2014
posted by Curious Artificer at 6:48 AM on September 11, 2014
I had never thought about which direction Orion is facing. "Remember, he's facing us." I'm suddenly unsettled. The Hunter is staring right at us!
WHO IS ORION REALLY HUNTING?? The answer may surprise you, details at 9
posted by NoraReed at 7:05 AM on September 11, 2014
WHO IS ORION REALLY HUNTING?? The answer may surprise you, details at 9
posted by NoraReed at 7:05 AM on September 11, 2014
"A supernova or hypernova produced by Eta Carinae would probably eject a gamma ray burst (GRB) out from both polar areas of its rotational axis. Calculations show that the deposited energy of such a GRB striking the Earth's atmosphere would be equivalent
...really cool superpowers for all. Is no one familiar with the Fantastic 4?
posted by Hoopo at 7:05 AM on September 11, 2014
...really cool superpowers for all. Is no one familiar with the Fantastic 4?
posted by Hoopo at 7:05 AM on September 11, 2014
I'm sure Orion is hunting the thing standing behind you.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:06 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:06 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
> So how powerful would an Eta Carinae supernova - being 7500 light years away have to be to equal, in recieved radiation, a Betelgeuse supernova at 650 light years her on earth?
Yeah, it's a square law. So if you're 3 times further away, the explosion needs to be 9 times as big in order to match the luminosity. Hence (7500/650)^2 = 133 times as powerful
posted by BigCalm at 7:07 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yeah, it's a square law. So if you're 3 times further away, the explosion needs to be 9 times as big in order to match the luminosity. Hence (7500/650)^2 = 133 times as powerful
posted by BigCalm at 7:07 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hold out hope, people. It might have gone supernova 639 years ago and we just don't know about it yet.
Yeah, I get that popular science journalism is to science as Will Smith movies are to science fiction, but as I read that, my worry that the author felt we readers wouldn't understand about light speed was gradually replaced by a worry that he doesn't.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:07 AM on September 11, 2014
Yeah, I get that popular science journalism is to science as Will Smith movies are to science fiction, but as I read that, my worry that the author felt we readers wouldn't understand about light speed was gradually replaced by a worry that he doesn't.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:07 AM on September 11, 2014
Math:
Betelgeuse is 650 Ly away, and we'll say that it outputs 1 Betelgeuse of radiation. 'k' is our constant that makes the numbers work out.
k * 1B / 650ly^2 = k / 422,500 B/ly^2
For Eta Carinae, we're 7500 ly away, and we want to know how much radiation (R) it has to put out for us to receive the same value:
k * R / 7500ly^2 = k * B / 650ly^2
remove the k's and multiply both sides by 7500ly^2:
R = (B * 7500ly^2) / (650ly^2)
R = B * 7500^2 / 650^2
R = B * 56,250,000 / 422,500
R ~ B * 133
So Eta Carinae needs to be about 133 times more powerful than Betelgeuse for us to get the same amount of radiation, which is in line with what we'd expect - it's a little more than 10 times more distant, so it needs to be a little more than 10^2 more powerful.
On preview: BigCalm beat me to it, but if you're still fuzzy on the math, this might help.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 7:19 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Betelgeuse is 650 Ly away, and we'll say that it outputs 1 Betelgeuse of radiation. 'k' is our constant that makes the numbers work out.
k * 1B / 650ly^2 = k / 422,500 B/ly^2
For Eta Carinae, we're 7500 ly away, and we want to know how much radiation (R) it has to put out for us to receive the same value:
k * R / 7500ly^2 = k * B / 650ly^2
remove the k's and multiply both sides by 7500ly^2:
R = (B * 7500ly^2) / (650ly^2)
R = B * 7500^2 / 650^2
R = B * 56,250,000 / 422,500
R ~ B * 133
So Eta Carinae needs to be about 133 times more powerful than Betelgeuse for us to get the same amount of radiation, which is in line with what we'd expect - it's a little more than 10 times more distant, so it needs to be a little more than 10^2 more powerful.
On preview: BigCalm beat me to it, but if you're still fuzzy on the math, this might help.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 7:19 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Sorry, I don't see anything I can sell in that.
"Tonight on News 8, on the anniversary of 9/11, will an even larger attack... from space... threaten your family?"
-- The Media
posted by Naberius at 7:51 AM on September 11, 2014
"Tonight on News 8, on the anniversary of 9/11, will an even larger attack... from space... threaten your family?"
-- The Media
posted by Naberius at 7:51 AM on September 11, 2014
I'm glad we can stick to just worrying about the supervolcano, meteors, global food riots, and Skynet.
You forgot to include GREYGOO!
posted by sammyo at 8:14 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
You forgot to include GREYGOO!
posted by sammyo at 8:14 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Aw, I am a little disappointed. I'm still hoping to see one of the real supernovas, like the one that made the Crab Nebula. A new star in the sky! Burning by night and by day.
posted by tavella at 8:14 AM on September 11, 2014
posted by tavella at 8:14 AM on September 11, 2014
You'll all stop laughing when the refugees show up.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:20 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:20 AM on September 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
Even with the inanity of some science writing it's good to have astronomy articles. Astronomy is one of the best avenues to expand the awareness of the world beyond the boundaries of day to day kardasians and politics. We really need to work on local, global and extra-global levels to survive really long term as a species.
posted by sammyo at 8:20 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by sammyo at 8:20 AM on September 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
My entire basement is full of canned beans. I'm not sure if this is the right way to prep for this catastrophe.
Any Metafilter preppers with advice???
Put them on a plate
contemplate
think aloud
rethink (aloud)
profit?
posted by OHenryPacey at 8:30 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Any Metafilter preppers with advice???
Put them on a plate
contemplate
think aloud
rethink (aloud)
profit?
posted by OHenryPacey at 8:30 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm sure Orion is hunting the thing standing behind you.
Don't be silly; that's Algol, the Demon Star, and Orion and it are good friends.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:50 AM on September 11, 2014
Don't be silly; that's Algol, the Demon Star, and Orion and it are good friends.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:50 AM on September 11, 2014
Isn't Orion hunting Ophiuchus, the thirteenth sign of the zodiac?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:57 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:57 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Redder and redder, prettier and prettier...
posted by Chutzler at 9:05 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Chutzler at 9:05 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Stellar warming is a myth.
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:58 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:58 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
I wish Betelegeuse would go Supernova, 640 years ago.
How do you know it didn't just do that then?
posted by Mister_A at 10:42 AM on September 11, 2014
How do you know it didn't just do that then?
posted by Mister_A at 10:42 AM on September 11, 2014
WE ARE IN NO DANGER, EVER, FROM BETELGEUSE.
"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied." -Claud Cockburn
posted by Ian A.T. at 11:09 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied." -Claud Cockburn
posted by Ian A.T. at 11:09 AM on September 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
There is a mild disparity between an assertion in the text and the diagram just above it:
And I remember from childhood artists' conceptions of the red giant star Antares, which was shown containing Mars but falling short of Jupiter:
Radius: This is where we start getting into “yikes” territory: Betelgeuse is a staggering 890 (+ or -200) times wider than the Sun! Bear in mind the Sun is more than 100 times wider than the Earth and you may realize what a behemoth this star is. That’s a radius—a radius—of more than 600 million kilometers! Replace the Sun with Betelgeuse, and it would stretch nearly to the orbit of Jupiter. The Earth would be engulfed.But the diagram shows Betelgeuse as more than half again as big as the orbit of Jupiter (well outside even the +/- 200 error bar) though it is from 1996.
And I remember from childhood artists' conceptions of the red giant star Antares, which was shown containing Mars but falling short of Jupiter:
Antares is a supergiant star with a stellar classification of M1.5Iab-b.[3] It has a radius of approximately 883 times that of the Sun;[6] if it were placed in the center of our solar system, its outer surface would lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.posted by jamjam at 11:53 AM on September 11, 2014
My impression is that the surface of Betelgeuse is less a distinct radius than an occasional consensus, which may be the source of the disagreement.
posted by tavella at 1:03 PM on September 11, 2014
posted by tavella at 1:03 PM on September 11, 2014
"You'll all stop laughing when the refugees show up." ..by which I meant "refugees in space ships."
Lessee, how did that go? Fleeing from the Betelgeuse supernova, the last Battlestar leads a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest... a shining planet known as Earth. Yeah, something like that.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:13 PM on September 12, 2014
Lessee, how did that go? Fleeing from the Betelgeuse supernova, the last Battlestar leads a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest... a shining planet known as Earth. Yeah, something like that.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:13 PM on September 12, 2014
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posted by NoraReed at 11:59 PM on September 10, 2014 [1 favorite]