One of the brightest stars in the constellation Orion, Betelgeuse is
classified as a super red giant.If Betelgeuse were at the center of our
solar system, its edges would extend out to Jupiter, maybe even
beyond.It is currently the 8th brightest star in our night sky, and is
believed to be only 10 million years old, evolving fast due to its
massive size.New calculations have placed it at 640 light years away,
not 430 as previously thought.
Astronomers believe that Betelgeuse will go supernova someday soon, it may have already happened.The massive star is 640 light years away, so it would take 640 years before the death of Betelgeuse would be seen on Earth.There are many different theories of what would happen when it does go supernova, but first thing to know is that we are in no danger.Some sites are claiming that the supernova will result in a second Sun in our skies, even daytime skies turning red for a differing amount of time, but I cannot yet confirm those claims.
I have read a few articles claiming the event will happen in 2012, in terms to being visible here on Earth.There is no possible way anyone could know that, while it could hapen in 2012, Im not so sure it will.The research shows that the star is nearing the end of it's life, but the truth is it may not happen for even another hundred years, it has already lived for 10 million.In any case, they event will be very bright,and whenever it does happen it will be nothing more than a once in a hundred lifetimes event, we should feel truly special if we get to experience it.
I feel inclined to say this on the matter.All of these Endtime scenarios for next year stem from the Mayan Calendar ending on December 21, 2012, which does not imply apocolypse, but that someone got tired of writing a calendar that was over 1,000 years ahead. As a rule of thumb, dont take advice from end of the world/armageddon sites, or untrusted blogs when it comes to Astronomy, and that only facts have any relevance in these discussions, not opinion and speculation.Always look for sources like NASA/JPL, or trusted scientific websites.Here is an image of Betelgeuse in our skies tomorrow night, and a few links I found on the subject.
Astronomers believe that Betelgeuse will go supernova someday soon, it may have already happened.The massive star is 640 light years away, so it would take 640 years before the death of Betelgeuse would be seen on Earth.There are many different theories of what would happen when it does go supernova, but first thing to know is that we are in no danger.Some sites are claiming that the supernova will result in a second Sun in our skies, even daytime skies turning red for a differing amount of time, but I cannot yet confirm those claims.
I have read a few articles claiming the event will happen in 2012, in terms to being visible here on Earth.There is no possible way anyone could know that, while it could hapen in 2012, Im not so sure it will.The research shows that the star is nearing the end of it's life, but the truth is it may not happen for even another hundred years, it has already lived for 10 million.In any case, they event will be very bright,and whenever it does happen it will be nothing more than a once in a hundred lifetimes event, we should feel truly special if we get to experience it.
I feel inclined to say this on the matter.All of these Endtime scenarios for next year stem from the Mayan Calendar ending on December 21, 2012, which does not imply apocolypse, but that someone got tired of writing a calendar that was over 1,000 years ahead. As a rule of thumb, dont take advice from end of the world/armageddon sites, or untrusted blogs when it comes to Astronomy, and that only facts have any relevance in these discussions, not opinion and speculation.Always look for sources like NASA/JPL, or trusted scientific websites.Here is an image of Betelgeuse in our skies tomorrow night, and a few links I found on the subject.
Not a super red giant, a red super giant. :-P
ReplyDeleteOtherwise one might think it is super red. :-P