A Giant Star Is Dimming, Which Could Be a Sign It Is About to Explode

[jayem]

The red giant star Betelgeuse (not to be confused with the Michael Keaton movie,) which is in the constellation Orion, has significantly dimmed. Once the 9th brightest star in our view of the galaxy, it is now the 23rd brightest. This could mean that it will explode as a supernova. Actually, this may have already occurred. Betelgeuse is 600 ly from Earth. What we’re observing now happened 6 centuries ago. We’ll know more in the next 600 years.

A Giant Star Is Dimming, Which Could Be a Sign It Is About to Explode | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine

 

[jasonMalloy1999]

The red giant star Betelgeuse (not to be confused with the Michael Keaton movie,) which is in the constellation Orion, has significantly dimmed. Once the 9th brightest star in our view of the galaxy, it is now the 23rd brightest. This could mean that it will explode as a supernova. Actually, this may have already occurred. Betelgeuse is 600 ly from Earth. What we’re observing now happened 6 centuries ago. We’ll know more in the next 600 years.

A Giant Star Is Dimming, Which Could Be a Sign It Is About to Explode | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine

what happens after it explodes like does it release a gas towards earth like the sun and make a northern light

 

[SkyWriting]

The red giant star Betelgeuse (not to be confused with the Michael Keaton movie,) which is in the constellation Orion, has significantly dimmed. Once the 9th brightest star in our view of the galaxy, it is now the 23rd brightest. This could mean that it will explode as a supernova. Actually, this may have already occurred. Betelgeuse is 600 ly from Earth. What we’re observing now happened 6 centuries ago. We’ll know more in the next 600 years.

A Giant Star Is Dimming, Which Could Be a Sign It Is About to Explode | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine

It's like watching the Superbowl, but 600 years after the team loses due to bad weather.

 

[Shemjaza]

what happens after it explodes like does it release a gas towards earth like the sun and make a northern light

Not really, it's a very long way away. That said it might light up very bright for a few days and possibly even be visible in the day time.

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

This would literally be a once in a lifetime event. What a thing to witness. I hope it blows in the next 50 years.

 

[Shemjaza]

I really hope we can see it.

(I also really hope there's nothing alive in any of the neighboring star systems).

 

[jasonMalloy1999]

Not really, it's a very long way away. That said it might light up very bright for a few days and possibly even be visible in the day time.

thats cool i love stars it fascinates e

 

[timothyu]

We’ll know more in the next 600 years.

Marked it on my calendar.

 

[Ricky M]

This would literally be a once in a lifetime event. What a thing to witness. I hope it blows in the next 50 years.

No, you hope it blew 550 + years ago

 

[timothyu]

No, you hope it blew 550 + years ago

Used to take movies that long to get to my town

 

[Kenny'sID]

When Orion's belt slips, Orion's pants will fall down and we'll get another huge astronomical display.
OB

Hasn't he always been known for showing his astronomical?

 

[timewerx]

This would literally be a once in a lifetime event. What a thing to witness. I hope it blows in the next 50 years.

No you don't want that.

We'll need more than walls to stop the influx of immigrants coming from the Betelgeuse system.

But then they'll probably choose a different planet if they realize how horrible Earth's immigration policies are.

I'd rather have them invade and replace our dictatorship.

 

[SkyWriting]

what happens after it explodes like does it release a gas towards earth like the sun and make a northern light

Like that but weaker. Our sun is 7 minutes away, and this one is 700 years away so we are lucky just to see it at all. Also, the "wind" will take 650 times as long as the light to get here or about 500 thousand years before any "northern light" effects.

 

[dad]

The red giant star Betelgeuse (not to be confused with the Michael Keaton movie,) which is in the constellation Orion, has significantly dimmed. Once the 9th brightest star in our view of the galaxy, it is now the 23rd brightest. This could mean that it will explode as a supernova. Actually, this may have already occurred. Betelgeuse is 600 ly from Earth. What we’re observing now happened 6 centuries ago. We’ll know more in the next 600 years.

A Giant Star Is Dimming, Which Could Be a Sign It Is About to Explode | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine

The dimming or brightening of stars may fit into the concepts of stellar evolution, but since they have only observed for a relatively short time, it is speculation. For example, if I said that the star would explode in a million years, there is no way to check.

 

[timothyu]

For example, if I said that the star would explode in a million years, there is no way to check.

Leave a note on the fridge.

 

[dad]

Leave a note on the fridge.

Yes, and you can check it in a million years if the note and fridge and star are still here.

 

[expos4ever]

The dimming or brightening of stars may fit into the concepts of stellar evolution, but since they have only observed for a relatively short time, it is speculation.

I understand why you might think this, but it is not speculation.

The reason we can be confident about the evolution of stars is that we can observe stars all along the life-cycle spectrum - very young stars, middle-aged stars, old stars. You appear to be arguing like this:

- stars lives for billions and billions of years;
- we have only been performing measurements on stars for, say, a few hundred years;
- therefore, we really no nothing about stellar evolution (or, our knowledge is very limited).

I will explain the problem by appealing to an analogy. Suppose you go to a baseball stadium with 30,000 people in it. And they are of all ages, from infants to centenarians. Even if you are only at the stadium for 3 hours, you can learn a tremendous amount about how human beings age - you can examine people of all ages and see what aging patterns manifest themselves.

Likewise for stars - even though we humans have only been observing stars for a few hundred years, we get to see stars of all ages. So we can develop reliable models of stellar evolution.

 

[dad]

I understand why you might think this, but it is not speculation.

The reason we can be confident about the evolution of stars is that we can observe stars all along the life-cycle spectrum - very young stars, middle-aged stars, old stars.

You observe stars brightening or dimming or various other things. You assign reasons for this based on the system of beliefs and theories you choose. No one was here or will be (from science) millions of years ago or millions of years from now. It is ALL based on observations that are in a tiny frame of time recently.

You appear to be arguing like this:

- stars lives for billions and billions of years;
- we have only been performing measurements on stars for, say, a few hundred years;
- therefore, we really no nothing about stellar evolution (or, our knowledge is very limited).

No, I am not suggesting stellar evolution happens over billions of years at all. I am suggesting you believe that. Yes, based on an infinitesimally small observation period. and some beliefs.

I will explain the problem by appealing to an analogy. Suppose you go to a baseball stadium with 30,000 people in it. And they are of all ages, from infants to centenarians. Even if you are only at the stadium for 3 hours, you can learn a tremendous amount about how human beings age - you can examine people of all ages and see what aging patterns manifest themselves.

The problem is that you have never been to the stadium of the stars! You have only seen the light from the stadium shining into your room through colored glass, with blinds drawn.

Likewise for stars - even though we humans have only been observing stars for a few hundred years, we get to see stars of all ages. So we can develop reliable models of stellar evolution.

You see light from stars. You see that here on earth. For all you know every star in the universe is dark already, and we just haven't seen the light go out here yet!

 

[Nithavela]

So what happens when Orion's belt slips as a result?

Betelgeuse isn't part of the "belt".

 

[timothyu]

Betelgeuse isn't part of the "belt".

Shoulder