Betelgeuse Star - Supernova Candidate?

[SlammedZero]

One of the brightest stars in the sky, Betelgeuse, has started to dim in the night sky. (It is located in the armpit of the constellation Orion). While some scientists think the star is dimming because of "strange, stellar physics", others believe it is ready to become a supernova. The star is 642.5 light-years from Earth. That would make it become the closest supernova observed and recorded by humans. That also means that if you looked up and just happened to see the star explode tonight, the supernova you would be seeing really took place over 600 years ago and you'd only be seeing it now.

Could be worth looking up in the night sky just in case.

 

[darthseinfeld]

One of the brightest stars in the sky, Betelgeuse, has started to dim in the night sky. (It is located in the armpit of the constellation Orion). While some scientists think the star is dimming because of "strange, stellar physics", others believe it is ready to become a supernova. The star is 642.5 light-years from Earth. That would make it become the closest supernova observed and recorded by humans. That also means that if you looked up and just happened to see the star explode tonight, the supernova you would be seeing really took place over 600 years ago and you'd only be seeing it now.

Could be worth looking up in the night sky just in case.

My head always spins when I think about the time lapse with supernovas

 

[Runwildboys]

One of the brightest stars in the sky, Betelgeuse, has started to dim in the night sky. (It is located in the armpit of the constellation Orion). While some scientists think the star is dimming because of "strange, stellar physics", others believe it is ready to become a supernova. The star is 642.5 light-years from Earth. That would make it become the closest supernova observed and recorded by humans. That also means that if you looked up and just happened to see the star explode tonight, the supernova you would be seeing really took place over 600 years ago and you'd only be seeing it now.

Could be worth looking up in the night sky just in case.

I've been watching it for a while. If it goes supernova in our lifetime, it should be about as bright as the moon for months. I really hope that happens.

 

[nobody]

I've been watching it for a while. If it goes supernova in our lifetime, it should be about as bright as the moon for months. I really hope that happens.

Sadly, it could go another 10,000 years without blowing... But I saw a thing that whoever gets to see the night sky a couple hundred years after it blows is in for a treat because of how close the nebula created will be.

 

[Runwildboys]

Sadly, it could go another 10,000 years without blowing... But I saw a thing that whoever gets to see the night sky a couple hundred years after it blows is in for a treat because of how close the nebula created will be.

Possibly, but I don't know if all nebulae are things of beauty. Either way, it doesn't matter to us because we can't download ourselves into an android to live that long.........but Jerry's gonna love it!

 

[nobody]

Possibly, but I don't know if all nebulae are things of beauty. Either way, it doesn't matter to us because we can't download ourselves into an android to live that long.........but Jerry's gonna love it!

Yeah, I would love for it to blow to the point we see it blow in our lifetime. It's mind blowing that it might have blown long before we were born and it won't be visible until long after we die.

 

[Runwildboys]

Yeah, I would love for it to blow to the point we see it blow in our lifetime. It's mind blowing that it might have blown long before we were born and it won't be visible until long after we die.

That's exactly what I love about looking at the stars. You're literally seeing the past. On the other hand, if a Gamma Ray Burst or anything that travels at light speed were to come in our direction, we wouldn't know until it got here.......which, on second thought might be a good thing anyway. lol

 

[The Fonz]

The sky without Betelgeuse will be strange

 

[nobody]

That's exactly what I love about looking at the stars. You're literally seeing the past. On the other hand, if a Gamma Ray Burst or anything that travels at light speed were to come in our direction, we wouldn't know until it got here.......which, on second thought might be a good thing anyway. lol

Yeah, imagine how the world would react to knowing it had like 20 years before oblivion...I don't have much in the way of optimism for humanity for such scenarios. I think they'd react in the worst possible ways, as a whole.

But it really is cool looking up and thinking "Man, that light started it's journey before a lot of my ancestors were born."

One thing to note though: Time passes for us, but for photons no time passes. From the second it leaves a star 1000 light years away to the second it hits your eye, no time will have elapsed for the photon and it will have experienced no distance either. It's as if it went from point a to point b instantly. That's so cool.

 

[Runwildboys]

The sky without Betelgeuse will be strange

Would you really notice if it just disappeared?

 

[nobody]

Would you really notice if it just disappeared?

Since Betelgeuse makes up Orion's right shoulder, yeah, I think it would be noticeable.

 

[Runwildboys]

Since Betelgeuse makes up Orion's right shoulder, yeah, I think it would be noticeable.

If you ever actually look at more than just the belt. I find most constellations, including Orion, to be a massive stretch of the imagination, looking absolutely nothing like the things they're supposed to represent.

 

[Runwildboys]

Since Betelgeuse makes up Orion's right shoulder, yeah, I think it would be noticeable.

That right shoulder could move to the next star up toward the elbow without looking too different.

 

[nobody]

If you ever actually look at more than just the belt. I find most constellations, including Orion, to be a massive stretch of the imagination, looking absolutely nothing like the things they're supposed to represent.

I've always looked at all of Orion. It is one of the most easily spotted constellations, in my opinion. It and the Big Dipper.

 

[Runwildboys]

I've always looked at all of Orion. It is one of the most easily spotted constellations, in my opinion. It and the Big Dipper.

But mostly easily spotted because of the belt, I think.

 

[nobody]

But mostly easily spotted because of the belt, I think.

For some. Usually when I look up, I see the whole thing at once, but that is because this time of year it's just like RIGHT THERE IN YOUR FACE. lol There are many constellations I could look at and not recognize. Fortunately, we have skymaps for that now.

 

[DFWJC]

Would you really notice if it just disappeared?

I sure would.
That's a star I notice very regularly.

Orion often seems to be just staring us right in the face in the night sky.

 

[Runwildboys]

For some. Usually when I look up, I see the whole thing at once, but that is because this time of year it's just like RIGHT THERE IN YOUR FACE. lol There are many constellations I could look at and not recognize. Fortunately, we have skymaps for that now.

I have the SkEye app on my phone. Love it.

 

[DFWJC]

The Sky Guide app is kind of fun. My youngest loves it.

 

[Runwildboys]

I sure would.
That's a star I notice very regularly.

Orion often seems to be just staring us right in the face in the night sky.

I see it most mornings when I get to work, where there are no trees around, between 3 and 5 a.m. It'd be cool to have the supernova, and then the remnants to look at for a while.