North Star May Be Wasting Away

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North Star May Be Wasting Away

Posted by Soulskill on Friday January 27, 2012 @10:34AM from the julius-caesar-wanted-to-go-on-a-diet dept.

sciencehabit writes "The North Star, a celestial beacon to navigators for centuries, may be slowly shrinking, according to a new analysis of more than 160 years of observations. The data suggest that the familiar fixture in the northern sky is shedding an Earth's mass worth of gas each year."

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Oh my god! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-27 10:40 · Score: 4, Funny

Polaris must be losing nearly the equivalent of Earth's mass—or a little under a millionth of its own mass—each year,
In a little over a million years, we won't be able to use that particular star to navigate any more. IT'LL BE CHAOS!
1. Re:Oh my god! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-27 10:44 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Vega is a fucking space ghetto. I don't want to point to that part of the celestial neighborhood.
2. Re:Oh my god! by SpryGuy · 2012-01-27 10:56 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Well, except that over that same time period, we'll be experiencing a reversal of the poles, and the accompaning period of magnetic flux that would make magnetic compasses rather useless.
  
  --
  
  - Spryguy
  There are three kinds of people in this world: those that can count and those that can't
3. Re:Oh my god! by jamstar7 · 2012-01-27 11:46 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Vega is a fucking space ghetto. I don't want to point to that part of the celestial neighborhood.
  I thought that was where the Mother Thing was from? Doesn't sound like a ghetto... Wormface and company were from the ghetto.
  Problem is, what comes from Vega are Vegans. If they invade, no more leather, no more steaks. We'll be reduced to eating vegetables and tofu forever and ever and ever, amen
  
  Course, the upside is, we'll produce plenty of methane, so it might help with the energy crunch, though I kinda doubt it'll be comfortable walking around with a gas pipe up my ass. Maybe that's why the aliens are so into anal probing...
  
  --
  Understanding the scope of the problem is the first step on the path to true panic.
4. Re:Oh my god! by Tastecicles · 2012-01-27 16:08 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  ah, that's because when it clicks over to 100,000 the Morlocks invade...
  
  --
  Operation Guillotine is in effect.
Pivot point by Lev13than · 2012-01-27 10:43 · Score: 5, Funny

It's probably losing all that mass due to heat from friction. It must be under tremendous pressure, seeing as how the entire night sky pivots on that single point. Long-term this will have huge consequences - when the North Star finally wears through completely the entire universe will ricochet off into nothingness like a spinning top.

--
When you have nothing left to burn you must set yourself on fire
1. Re:Pivot point by ColdWetDog · 2012-01-27 10:47 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  It's probably losing all that mass due to heat from friction. It must be under tremendous pressure, seeing as how the entire night sky pivots on that single point. Long-term this will have huge consequences - when the North Star finally wears through completely the entire universe will ricochet off into nothingness like a spinning top.
  Not to worry. Once we get our booster technology straightened out, we can send up a big can of WD-40.
  
  --
  Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
2. Re:Pivot point by Lev13than · 2012-01-27 10:52 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Not to worry. Once we get our booster technology straightened out, we can send up a big can of WD-40.
  That's the first lesson in any basic astrophysics maintenance course - always keep your turtles oiled.
  
  --
  When you have nothing left to burn you must set yourself on fire
3. Re:Pivot point by Chris+Burke · 2012-01-27 11:12 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Don't forget the turtle wax.
  
  --
  
  The enemies of Democracy are
Thank God! by johnvile · 2012-01-27 10:51 · Score: 4, Funny

Thank God its not shedding the amount of gas a politician evacuates each year. It would be barley visible.

--
"What Are They Gonna Do When Were All Using Freenet"
1. Re:Thank God! by LighterShadeOfBlack · 2012-01-27 11:05 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Thank God its not shedding the amount of gas a politician evacuates each year. It would be barley visible.
  I know right! And then wheat would we do?
  
  --
  Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and stupid comments are intentional.
2. Re:Thank God! by LighterShadeOfBlack · 2012-01-27 11:11 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  I apologise for that; I have a very rye sense of humour.
  
  --
  Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and stupid comments are intentional.
Does this mean victory for the Southern Cross? by Kenja · 2012-01-27 11:15 · Score: 3, Funny

Does this mean victory for the Southern Cross fighting style? Or am I just too much of a nerd so no one will understand the reference?

--

"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Re:Damn... by mark-t · 2012-01-27 11:23 · Score: 4, Funny

Indeed... everyone knows that the first magnets fell to earth from that star, which is why it always experienced a small tug in that direction. Future magnets inherited this trait by mimicking the original magnets' functionality, which was to adhere strongly to certain types of metals.

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File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Release the Chaff! by fyngyrz · 2012-01-27 12:46 · Score: 3, Funny

There's a grain (or at least a germ) of truth in each of those posts. Kind of a cereal furrow of truthiness, just plowing along, planting seeds of doubt, perhaps to just lie farro, but then again, maybe knot.

--
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Re:What does it mean for Christians? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-27 19:24 · Score: 3, Funny

I've been to 3 separate universities where, in the restrooms in the science wings, above the toilet paper dispenser, was a note reading "theology degree. Please take one".