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What Happens When Betelgeuse Explodes?

StartsWithABang writes: One of the great, catastrophic truths of the Universe is that everything has an expiration date. And this includes every single point of light in the entire sky. The most massive stars will die in a spectacular supernova explosion when their final stage of core fuel runs out. At only an estimated 600 light years distant, Betelgeuse is one (along with Antares) of the closest red supergiants to us, and it's estimated to have only perhaps 100,000 years until it reaches the end of its life. Here's the story on what we can expect to see (and feel) on Earth when Betelgeuse explodes.

9 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Nothing important. by Thanshin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now you left me wondering about what's could possibly be the civilization's next paycheck.

  2. Isn't that by rossdee · · Score: 4, Funny

    where Ford Prefect and Zaphod Beeblebrox come from?

    1. Re:Isn't that by Scarletdown · · Score: 5, Funny

      It was a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse. So it could have been a neighboring system. Because when talking on astronomical scales, the vicinity of a star can cover a tremendous amount of space. After all, space is big, extremely big. You wouldn't believe just how big it is...

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      This space unintentionally left blank.
  3. MBA response by paiute · · Score: 4, Funny

    In Q2 we are all going to die, so we should shift as many receivables into Q1 as possible to make our metrics.

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    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
  4. Re:The Media is not Hoopy. by ibwolf · · Score: 4, Funny

    I, for one, will be pronouncing it "Throat Warbler Mangrove"

  5. Re:The associated EMP pulse... by TheRealHocusLocus · · Score: 4, Funny

    The associated EMP pulse

    * will make all the WiFi Barbies hiccup
    * Pebble Smartwatch with AC synchronous motor all start running backwards
    * hasten return plague infested gerbils
    * make Slashdot say "read rest of comment..." when is no rest of comment to read or is whitespace (oops already happened)
    * make AT&T undercharge customers
    * will change spelling of some words even in old dictionaries
    * will change hidden embedded satanic message into incomprehensible phenomic gobblegook
    * will turn chemtrail into contrail
    * will contaminate Portland Reservoir with water they will drain and refill at taxpayer expense
    * will do nothing out in the desert no surprise there
    * will cause brain cloud
    * will change Lady Gaga name to Ydal Agag and Huckleberry Finn to Fuckeberry Hinn no one will notice
    * will solve discrete logarithm and knapsack problem by making people realize that despite their insolubility everyone is all ok the kids are alright so there really is no problem
    * will make apocalypse crazed people reset back to factory defaults and they will walk around with default wallpaper for faces
    * will reveal that we have two suns but only to drunk people
    * will short out Hillary Russia reset button because it used cheap copper click disc design and was not properly shielded and we do not need woman president we need more female engineers
    * will not be televised

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    <blink>down the rabbit hole</blink>
  6. Re:a little brighter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    They call it "medium" because it's neither rare nor well done.

  7. Re:fuck medium.com by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Funny

    But it's so much easier when /. links to an article with no substance

    The article isn't entirely without substance. For instance, it helpfully points out, twice, that the sun is the brightest object in the sky.

  8. Re:fuck medium.com by chilenexus · · Score: 3, Funny

    > that hot yellowy-white thing that warms your skin when you're walking outside?

    Please don't talk about my girlfriend that way.