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Dying Star Betelgeuse Spews Fiery Nebula
astroengine writes "Betelgeuse is dying a nasty death. The star is in the final, violent stages of its life, shedding vast amounts of stellar material into space as it quickly approaches a supernova demise. But now, with the help of the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, Betelgeuse's extended nebula has come to light. Comprised of silica and alumina dust, ESO astronomers have been able to image the nebula in infrared wavelengths for the first time. This is the most detailed view we've ever had of the imminent death of a titanic red supergiant star."
I've always loved looking at the stars, and a sky without Orion will be somewhat diminished. But, since this is going to happen anyway, I'd really like to see a spectacular supernova in my lifetime!
#DeleteChrome
What's wrong with Slashdot editing these days? This happened 640 years ago. And you're only posting now?
Have gnu, will travel.
The ESO astronomers are made of silica and alumina dust?
ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI
Well actually, it already happened years ago (thousands, millions?). So soon may already be in the past... depending on where we are at the time....
my monkey brain hurts
Do you not realize that Betelgeuse is only 640 light-years away? I.e., if it went supernova more than 640 years ago, we would know? Monkey brain indeed.
It generally makes more sense to think about the timing of individual events in terms of when the event's light cone gets to us. Granted, Betelgeuse is in a similar reference frame to us, but that doesn't change the fact that there's no such thing as simultaneity at astronomical scales. The exact time it happened relative to earth isn't the same time it happened relative to somewhere else, and even the apparent time on Earth would be different if measured by an observer moving in one direction or another relative to Earth.
Good News: they won't panic, as they're hoopy froods who know where their towels are.
Bad News: Earth has the largest supply of towels in 1000 light-years, so we can expect an invasion any day.
In the Future Semiconditionally Modified Subinverted Plagal Past Subjunctive Intentional tense, yes it would, but in the present tense (on-book haventa forewhen presooning returningwenta retrohome) its a toss up.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
Let's rephrase the question then: Can we expect to observe Betelgeuse going supernove in our lifetimes?
Strive to make your client happy, not necessarly give them what they ask for
isn't the point that we DO know more about outer space than we do about our oceans (in terms of raw data available)
NOT
that we WILL know more about outer space than we can ever about our oceans at some unspecified point in the future as your argument concludes.
while your conclusion is probably correct it doesn't relate to the original statement.
According to Wikipedia it's about 640 light years away so that's the maximum delay before we see it die.
I'd argue that the star hasn't died yet until the information about its demise could theoretically have reached the observer.
There isn't such thing as a universe time on which events can be noted to have happened. Time is always a local phenomenon.
If you were to travel with the photons from Betelguese to Earth (impossible as it is), your journey would take 640 years from the point of view of someone infinitely far away with an infinitely powerful telescope, but from your point of view, it would not - the explosion just happened for you.
... you are aware that supernovas give off... how shall I put this delicately... a massive fuckton of light, right?
It has a roughly uniform chance of supernova within the next million years. So one in a million chance that it will go off this year.
"Can we expect to observe Betelgeuse going supernove in our lifetimes?"
Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse!
About now.