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Local Galaxy Cluster About to Go Boom

Posted by timothy on from the about-to-is-relative dept.

A. Price writes "The Slacker Astronomy podcast reports on a recently discovered super star cluster located just 10,000 light years away. This system is expected to spawn 1500 supernovae in about 40 million years. I don't plan to be around to see the fireworks, but I wish I could. The show will be awesome. SA is a weekly look at astronomy by astronomers as told by a 20-something gal from Harvard and two of her friends. It's funny and cheesy, like the Dr. Who of podcasts."

19 comments

  1. Miki Berenyi by Uber+Banker · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Now she was cool.

  2. Truth in advertisement...??? by helioquake · · Score: 4, Informative

    Aaron, kinda misleading to say "Local Galaxy Cluster" when referring just a star cluster in the Galaxy, wouldn't you think?

    First I thought you found a nearby dwarf galaxy that is expected to undergo catastrophic star bursts. A bit disappoined to find out that it's just Westerlund 1...

    It's a neat object, though.

    1. Re:Truth in advertisement...??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Tru dat. Should have been "nearby super star cluster".

      Although you can debate whether it is nearby or not. For Pamela, who did her PhD on extra-galactic stuff, this is right next door. For me, working on a PhD on stellar stuff, this is not so close. :) But still plenty close enough to put on a great show, even in the daytime.
      -aaron

    2. Re:Truth in advertisement...??? by alleycat0 · · Score: 1

      ...as is the use of "about to" to describe something 40 million years in the future...

      --
      I am not a number - I am a free man!
  3. Incorrect title. by Bootsy+Collins · · Score: 3, Informative


    This has nothing to do with galaxy clusters; it's a cluster of stars in our own Milky Way.

    1. Re:Incorrect title. by Psiolent · · Score: 1

      You just parsed it wrong. You read Local (Galaxy Cluster) when you should have read (Local Galaxy) Cluster. That is, it is not a cluster of galaxies that is local. Instead it is a cluster in our local galaxy (the Milky Way).

    2. Re:Incorrect title. by AstroJetson · · Score: 1

      No, it should have read Local Galactic Cluster. A galactic cluster is a cluster of stars in a galaxy as opposed to a globular cluster, which is sort of extra-galactic. A galaxy cluster is a cluster of galaxies. Galactic clusters are usually called open clusters these days to avoid that confustion.

      --
      Admit nothing, deny everything and make counter-accusations.
  4. April Fools by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    April Fools!

  5. Now I'm curious (warning: offtopic) by FuturePastNow · · Score: 2, Interesting

    After reading their website, now I want to hear their April Fools podcast (" We will not play the show again. It was up for one day and one day only."). Did anybody who knew about this site before five minutes ago save it? Post a link?

    --
    Give a man fire, and you warm him for the night. Set a man on fire, and you warm him for the rest of his life.
    1. Re:Now I'm curious (warning: offtopic) by FuturePastNow · · Score: 3, Informative

      You know, about thirty seconds after I wrote this I tried just changing the date of one of their other 'casts. So, April Fools: http://www.somethingpositive.net/050401-slackastro .mp3

      --
      Give a man fire, and you warm him for the night. Set a man on fire, and you warm him for the rest of his life.
    2. Re:Now I'm curious (warning: offtopic) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      and for those who just want the transcript:

      http://www.slackerastronomy.org/transcripts/050401 -theend.txt

      -aaron

  6. Clever, Saddam by AtariAmarok · · Score: 2, Funny

    Clever, Saddam. Hiding those WMD's in distant star cluster. But you never thought the hiding place would be betrayed when Waphoon Zugbart carelessly detonated it when he dropped a cigaratte butt from one of his 5 hands. Never trust those Altarians to guard anything again.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
    1. Re:Clever, Saddam by jd · · Score: 1, Funny

      For purposes of the continued respect in the quality of the reporting on Slashdot, I wish to remind you that Lord Zugbart can regurgitate the contents of his stomach into the form of a sixth hand as needed.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  7. Had to be said by TimmyDee · · Score: 1

    "I think you mean 39,990,000 years from now." -Me

    --
    Per Square Mile, a blog about density
  8. Funniest moment in Alf by AtariAmarok · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    The funniest moment on the "ALF" show was when the Tanners prepare a thanksgiving dinner, leave briefly, and return. When they get back, the turkey is gone.

    They ask Alf if he ate it. He jabs a finger in his mouth and wretches and gags: "Not in Stomach #1". He again jabs a finger in his mouth and wretches and gags: "Not in Stomach #2". He yet again jabs a finger in his mouth and wretches and gags: "Not in Stomach #3". He stops. The Tanners remember that Alf has a 4th stomach, and point it out. Alf is BUSTED.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  9. Best Title Ever! by gstoddart · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Snappy. Caught my eye. Made me go wow. I give it a thumbs up!

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  10. This is awesome by __aaudsj459 · · Score: 2, Funny

    This show has me on the edge of my seat every week waiting for a new broadcast to come online. Thanks guys. You are awesome.

  11. uh, oh!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm going to go nuts....oh wait