Betelgeuse Star - Supernova Candidate?

[The Fonz]

Would you really notice if it just disappeared?

My dad used to point it to me and I used to recognize it as a kid ( in Indio south California east of Riverside ) so i am sure i would...I mean that if it completely disappear.

 

[DFWJC]

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.

It would!
The odds seem so slim given the life of a star. Thousands of years is a mere blink, so to have it happen in our lifetime would be like winning the lottery many times in a row...or something crazy like that.

 

[Tabascocat]

Anyone else addicted to the SCI channel more than me? More specifically, How the Universe Works on Mondays

 

[Runwildboys]

It would!
The odds seem so slim given the life of a star. Thousands of years is a mere blink, so to have it happen in our lifetime would be like winning the lottery many times in a row...or something crazy like that.

The odds of being on a planet that orbits a star in the perfect life supporting "Goldilocks" zone, with a magnetic field and atmosphere that blocks most of the harmful radiation from that star, and a moon that stabilizes our axis, in a solar system with larger planets protecting us from asteroids, comets, and such, in a universe with just the perfect amount of gravity to hold it all together....Well, I think the lottery has already been won.

 

[Runwildboys]

Anyone else addicted to the SCI channel more than me? More specifically, How the Universe Works on Mondays

I record every episode.

 

[kimrose]

Anyone else addicted to the SCI channel more than me? More specifically, How the Universe Works on Mondays

I couldn't live without the SCIENCE Channel! That's what it used to be called. When adults had spines. And that is what I will always call it. I hate that they have dumbed it down to just "SCI" now, to appease the coddled youth soy crowd. ****! But I love the channel and know all of the astronomers, archaeologists, NASA folks, and historians by name.

The Science Channel is the one channel I can put it on and leave 24 hours a day, without having to flip the channel from a show I don't like, or infomercials starting. I love How The Universe Works! Also love Unearthed, What On Earth, still love Through The Wormhole reruns with my man Morgan Freeman, all the alien and NASA shows, Mysteries of the.... all of them lol, etc.

I could do without the explicit dog abuse commercials that last 3 & 1/2 minutes at a time though. And frankly, I'm sick of seeing all the advertisements for that ridiculous channel TLC and all of their disgusting and grotesque shows!

ETA: Also love How's It Made, which is the next show up and will run til about 7 in the morning. lol

 

[kimrose]

Would you really notice if it just disappeared?

Yes

 

[SlammedZero]

The odds of being on a planet that orbits a star in the perfect life supporting "Goldilocks" zone, with a magnetic field and atmosphere that blocks most of the harmful radiation from that star, and a moon that stabilizes our axis, in a solar system with larger planets protecting us from asteroids, comets, and such, in a universe with just the perfect amount of gravity to hold it all together....Well, I think the lottery has already been won.

Add to that the perfect projection of the asteroid that hit Earth and killed off the dinosaurs, which, ultimately gave humans the opportunity to exist. Scientists believe that if the asteroid was off course just a little bit, by as little as 30 seconds, the way it would have hit Earth could have spared the life of a lot of species like the dinosaurs, and they could have continued ruling the Earth. That kind of stuff is insane to think about.

 

[Vomit]

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.

Cool stuff. As a man about to get divorced, I can welcome a Supernova event. As an amateur astronomer I say "cool".

I also have a 10" Meade LX-200ACF telescope for sale (due to divorce). PM me for details.....and....

WATCH THE SKIES!

 

[YosemiteSam]

Would you really notice if it just disappeared?

I would.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Betelgeuse is actually a variable star. Meaning it's apparent magnitude (brightness) fluctuates over time. While it's common for it to fluctuate, the level of that fluctuation (how faint it has become) is more pronounced right now which is out of the ordinary.

Some interesting facts about Betelgeuse.

• Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star. It contains 10 solar masses. Meaning, it has 10x the mass of our own Sun. (fun fact, our Sun has a name. It's called Sol. We live in the Sol System)
• It's so large that if it were at the center of our solar system. It would consume Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and the entire asteroid belt. Jupiter would be the closes planet to the Betelgeuse. All the rocky planets would no longer exist.
• Even at it's great size, it's not even remotely near being considered one of the largest stars. VY Canis Majoris has a radius of about 1,420 times that of our Sun. That is about 13.2 astronomical units. An astronomical units is the distance from the center of the Earth to the center of the Sun. That is around 93 million miles, so 93 million x 13.2 = 1,227,600,000. Or 1 billion, 227 million, 600 thousand miles in diameter!!!
• As I said before. Betelgeuse is a variable star. It fluctuates in two stages. The total cycle takes around 2,335 days. The first stage (brightening) is approximately 400 days, with the second stage (dimming) is around 2,100 days.
• The variation for Betelgeuse (about 1.3 magnitude) isn't much compared to some other variable stars.
• As Betelgeuse is a red supergiant. (Red being the key here) It's a relatively cool star. The more red a star is, the cooler it is. The more white or blue it is. The hotter the star is.
• It's possible Betelgeuse has already exploded. Though, it could easily be another 100,000 years before it explodes.
• Betelgeuse is likely around 10 million years old. Our Sun is 4.5 billion years old. The reason for Betelgeuse's short life span is due to it's sheer size. The larger they are, the more mass / gravity they have. That intense gravity creates incredible amount of nuclear fusion in the Star's' core. So it converts hydrogen and helium into heavier elements at a much faster rate.
• Once Betelgeuse runs out of lighter elements like hydrogen and helium. It will start converting those into carbon and silicon and up the chain of heavier and heavier elements till it starts fusing those elements into Iron. Once a star starts creating iron. The star is doomed.

The reason a star is doomed once it starts creating iron is due the following.

Massive stars have massive gravity. For a star to become a black hole, it needs an absolute minimum mass of 3 solar masses. So, if Betelgeuse is 10x the size of the Sun, you have to asked. Why doesn't it just become a black hole? The answer is the fusion I just discussed. The stars gravity crushes elements together at the star's core. When that pressure gets so great, it causes elements to fuse together. (nuclear fusion) When that happens, a massive amount of energy is release (Einstein's E = MC squared!) That explosion pushes out against the gravity pulling in. That offsetting each other and preventing the star from collapsing in on itself.

Here is the kicker. Once a star starts creating iron, the end is near. The reason for this is, when iron is created. The outward pressure is less than the inward pressure. Iron is much heavier than helium etc. It's a more massive element. The more mass is a smaller space, you get heavier things and heavier things have more mass in a smaller confined space. That extra mass becomes too much for the fusion that is occurring and the star begins to collapse in on itself. When this happen, you get a supernova as all the gravity crushes the star in on itself. It explodes and in one of the most power events ever recorded.

All really heavy elements were created in supernovas. If you have a gold ring on. That gold was created in a supernova event. All life on Earth is made of carbon. That carbon was created inside of a star. You are a product of a star going supernova. The entire Earth is a product of a star going supernova. When the universe came into existence 13.5 billion years ago. The only elements that existed were hydrogen and helium. All other elements that we see existing in the universe today were all created from stars.

Betelgeuse will be a black hole when it's life ends. There will be a black hole approximately 650 light years from us!

 

[The Fonz]

Thanks @YosemiteSam for the info

Don't you think Betelgeuse will turn into a neutron star?

 

[iceberg]

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.

If it goes supernova in our lifetime no one will know for hundreds of years from now. It had to have happended 100 years before col9mbu ive or take.

 

[nobody]

Thanks @YosemiteSam for the info

Don't you think Betelgeuse will turn into a neutron star?

It is too massive for neutron star territory. It's going to black hole territory! Do not pass go. Do not collect $200

 

[The Fonz]

It is too massive for neutron star territory. It's going to black hole territory! Do not pass go. Do not collect $200

when I look at human bodies size and compare it with big objects in the universe I get dizzy..basically we are nothing

 

[YosemiteSam]

Thanks @YosemiteSam for the info

Don't you think Betelgeuse will turn into a neutron star?

Betelgeuse is way too large. Our star (the Sun or Sol) will become a neutron star. Stars larger than says 3.3 solar masses (3.3 times the size of the Sun) usually become black holes. The mass limit is in that 3.3 solar masses area. Most star if not all stars below that will become neutron stars. They just don't have enough mass (gravity) to collapse in on themselves to the point of becoming black holes.

EDIT:

When our star (the Sun or Sol) collapses. It will be about the size of the Earth. Currently, 1 million 300 thousand (1,300,000) Earth's could fit inside of the Sun! Fathom that!!!

 

[The Fonz]

Betelgeuse is way too large. Our star (the Sun or Sol) will become a neutron star. Stars larger than says 3.3 solar masses (3.3 times the size of the Sun) usually become black holes. The mass limit is in that 3.3 solar masses area. Most star if not all stars below that will become neutron stars. They just don't have enough mass (gravity) to collapse in on themselves to the point of becoming black holes.

EDIT:

When our star (the Sun or Sol) collapses. It will be about the size of the Earth. Currently, 1 million 300 thousand (1,300,000) Earth's could fit inside of the Sun! Fathom that!!!

Thanks for the info ...man all of that is just smaller tiny part and the rest of space is still unknown or void as they call it.

 

[Tabascocat]

I want to know what space is expanding into, like....what is on the other side. I don’t want to hear nothing because nothing is still something!

 

[Runwildboys]

I want to know what space is expanding into, like....what is on the other side. I don’t want to hear nothing because nothing is still something!

That's what I always wondered as a kid. "What's outside our universe, if our universe isn't infinite?"

 

[CalPolyTechnique]