Big Supernova
January 21, 2016 6:31 PM Subscribe
Is that larger or smaller than a champagne supernova?
posted by LeLiLo at 7:16 PM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by LeLiLo at 7:16 PM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
Larger than a champagne supernova, but smaller than your momma.
posted by humanfont at 7:23 PM on January 21, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by humanfont at 7:23 PM on January 21, 2016 [3 favorites]
So, this thing blew up 3.8 billion years ago.
That was about the time the ocean formed on Earth, and micro organisms began to swim in it. I'm glad they finally got around to telling us about it.
posted by mule98J at 7:24 PM on January 21, 2016 [2 favorites]
That was about the time the ocean formed on Earth, and micro organisms began to swim in it. I'm glad they finally got around to telling us about it.
posted by mule98J at 7:24 PM on January 21, 2016 [2 favorites]
I was flipping through Randall Munroe's What If last night, and this caught my attention:
Which of the following would be brighter, in terms of the amount of energy delivered to your retina:posted by fings at 7:29 PM on January 21, 2016 [18 favorites]Answer: The supernova is brighter ...by nine orders of magnitude.
- A supernova, seen from as far away as the Sun is from the Earth, or
- The detonation of a hydrogen bomb pressed against your eyeball?
I sure hope that if the star of Bethlehem was a super nova it didn't take out any lifeforms. Because otherwise if you go in for the whole Christianity thing, God was a complete asshole. I mean, seriously, what would be the excuse? "Oops, sorry, I know you are my children and all, but, and I'm sorry to tell you in this way, I got kind of bored and started some life way, way over there and was wanting to do this super flashy thing to tell everyone over there on this other planet that I totally love the hell out of them and forgive all their sins. Sucks to be you." KABOOOOOMMMMMM!
posted by Muddler at 7:48 PM on January 21, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Muddler at 7:48 PM on January 21, 2016 [3 favorites]
I sure hope that if the star of Bethlehem was a super nova it didn't take out any lifeforms. Because otherwise if you go in for the whole Christianity thing, God was a complete asshole. I mean, seriously, what would be the excuse? "Oops, sorry, I know you are my children and all, but, and I'm sorry to tell you in this way, I got kind of bored and started some life way, way over there and was wanting to do this super flashy thing to tell everyone over there on this other planet that I totally love the hell out of them and forgive all their sins. Sucks to be you." KABOOOOOMMMMMM!
You know that is the plot of Arthur C. Clarke's Hugo award winning short story The Star right?
posted by Across the pale parabola of joy at 8:07 PM on January 21, 2016 [10 favorites]
You know that is the plot of Arthur C. Clarke's Hugo award winning short story The Star right?
posted by Across the pale parabola of joy at 8:07 PM on January 21, 2016 [10 favorites]
Either way you don't live to tell about it. But, why do they appear flat? I guess I could look it up. Fascinating idea.
Wait, is it bigger than a breadbox?
posted by Oyéah at 8:42 PM on January 21, 2016
Wait, is it bigger than a breadbox?
posted by Oyéah at 8:42 PM on January 21, 2016
I like to think that the Albany Daily Star is exactly that, and look I forward to Friday's star.
posted by theodolite at 9:13 PM on January 21, 2016
posted by theodolite at 9:13 PM on January 21, 2016
What's with the sidebar on the Albany Daily Star? Look at the popular stories there. Is this an actual newspaper, or one of those "SF Globe" things?
posted by maxwelton at 11:25 PM on January 21, 2016
posted by maxwelton at 11:25 PM on January 21, 2016
The "Albany Daily Star" appears to be a guy, or possibly a bot, named Ray Courtney, who doesn't understand what he's writing about, or English. Other quality reporting from the Albany Daily Star includes
- Atheist Parents better for childs than Religious Family?
- According to Michio Kaku, Humanity when reached galaxies, We will find many extinct alien civilization
- Do you want to have your own light-saber, Sorry Technically impossible ("some would be disappointed to learn that a real lightsaber cannot be made of laser.")
- and an unlimited amount of other junk, with nothing redeeming.
It would take, like, a minute to find a reputable source for the supernova story instead of posting a link to this rag.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:40 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
- Atheist Parents better for childs than Religious Family?
- According to Michio Kaku, Humanity when reached galaxies, We will find many extinct alien civilization
- Do you want to have your own light-saber, Sorry Technically impossible ("some would be disappointed to learn that a real lightsaber cannot be made of laser.")
- and an unlimited amount of other junk, with nothing redeeming.
It would take, like, a minute to find a reputable source for the supernova story instead of posting a link to this rag.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:40 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yes, and also turned into a Twilight Zone reboot episode.
posted by Muddler at 6:07 AM on January 22, 2016
posted by Muddler at 6:07 AM on January 22, 2016
> It would take, like, a minute to find a reputable source for the supernova story instead of posting a link to this rag.
Sky & Tel: The most luminous supernova ever discovered, ASASSN-15lh, challenges a popular theory for blazingly bright exploding stars.
Nature: A supernova has been spotted that is twice as luminous as the previous record holder — at its peak it blazed brighter than 570 billion Suns.
Science, 15 Jan 2016; DOI: 10.1126/science.aac9613:
ASASSN-15lh: A highly super-luminous supernova
We report the discovery of ASASSN-15lh (SN 2015L), which we interpret as the most luminous supernova yet found.
(Last link may be paywalled, sorry.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 11:39 AM on January 22, 2016
Sky & Tel: The most luminous supernova ever discovered, ASASSN-15lh, challenges a popular theory for blazingly bright exploding stars.
Nature: A supernova has been spotted that is twice as luminous as the previous record holder — at its peak it blazed brighter than 570 billion Suns.
Science, 15 Jan 2016; DOI: 10.1126/science.aac9613:
ASASSN-15lh: A highly super-luminous supernova
We report the discovery of ASASSN-15lh (SN 2015L), which we interpret as the most luminous supernova yet found.
(Last link may be paywalled, sorry.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 11:39 AM on January 22, 2016
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posted by solarion at 7:03 PM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]