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Youngest Galactic Supernova Found, But No Aliens

Simon Howes writes "After searching for decades, astronomers have found a supernova in our galaxy! So it wasn't little green men we were waiting for. It's located very near the center of the galaxy, about 28,000 light years away, and it's only at most about 140 years old. Quote from Bad Astronomy: 'If you're wondering what all the buzz has been about the past few days over a NASA discovery, then wait no longer. No, it's not aliens or an incoming asteroid. Instead, it's still very cool: astronomers have found the youngest supernova in the Milky Way.'" FiReaNGeL contributes a link to coverage on e! Science News; I think Wired's account of the super-hyped tele-press-conference is the funniest.

13 of 184 comments (clear)

  1. 140 Years old by Kingrames · · Score: 5, Funny

    Younger than America, that's actually really impressive.

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    If you can read this, I forgot to post anonymously.
  2. Re:Doesn't make sense.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    'My guess is that it's closer to 28,140 years old'

    Well, I guess that's pretty close; using their arithmetic: 28,140 - 140 = 28 !

  3. It's easy to detect things faster than TSOL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    All you need to do is divide the light years away by the smarmy posts about the speed of light in /.

    In our case, 28000 ly/200 smartass speed of light posts = 140 years ago.

    The more posts we get, the later it happens. Pretty soon, NASA will be able to predict the future! (Don't ask me about the math in that)

  4. Re:zzzzzzzz... by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wake me when they've discovered how Everything evolved from Nothing.
    No, no, everything exploded from Nothing. Get it right. Sheesh.
  5. Re:zzzzzzzz... by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 4, Funny

    That issue has been solved! Scientists recently found the missing link between inanimate, lifeless matter and the first primitive protozoa: an Anonymous Coward fossil.

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    I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
  6. Re:zzzzzzzz... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    That's not funny, my brother died that way!

  7. Re:Doesn't make sense.... by Jesus_666 · · Score: 4, Funny

    They used a very fast telescope.

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    USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  8. Re:zzzzzzzz... by peragrin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wake me when they've discovered how Everything evolved from Nothing.

    No, no, everything exploded from Nothing. Get it right. Sheesh.</quote><br>Well first a daddy universe explodes into a momma universe and new life is formed. 9 billion years later that little universe thinks it is the center of everything.

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    i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
  9. Dupe! by STrinity · · Score: 4, Funny

    First posted August 1868:

    Natural philosophers studying the heavens have spotted a stellar nova some 7000 light leagues distance. The light from this exploding star emanated some 24000 years before the birth of Our Lord. This has caused some confusion among scholars, as this would require the star to have combusted some 20 millennia before the creation of the Universe. Philosophers are also unable to theorize what may have made the star explode, though one possibility is a build-up of gas deep within the star's anthracite core.

    This is certainly the biggest bang since Mr. Wilkes' curtain call during "Our American Cousin".

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    Les Miserables Volume 1 now up with my reading of
    1. Re:Dupe! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Sir,

      I consider your last remark to be of the worst possible taste, and, as you dare to consider yourself a gentleman, I must apply to you for immediate satisfaction. I leave the determination of instruments of honor to yourself or your agents.

      I await your reply,
      S. Morgenstern

  10. Re:I came in here to burn some mod points... by bark76 · · Score: 2, Funny

    /me calls CERN

    me: Excuse me. Is you Large Hadron Collider running?

    CERN: Why yes, it is.

    me: Well, you better go catch it.

  11. Re:Doesn't make sense.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wait a minute:

    1) Nothing is faster than light
    2) light is faster than sound
    therefore
    3) Nothing is faster than sound!

  12. Thanks a lot... by Acheron · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now every time I read a /. headline, I'm going to be adding "But No Aliens" to it in my head. *sigh*