A "Second Sun" by 2012?

[NQ6U]

According to News.Com.Au, the red giant star Betelgeuse (in the constellation Orion) is losing mass rapidly and appears to be heading towards exploding as super nova--possibly as soon as 2012. If that happens, there will essentially be no night on Earth for several weeks. Article here. (http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/tatooines-twin-suns-coming-to-a-planet-near-you-just-as-soon-as-betelgeuse-explodes/story-fn5fsgyc-1225991009247)

[KG4CGC]

Will this knock out all electronics for 5-1/2 months like web bot has predicted? An EMP blast. That's what the chatter is. lulz.

[kc7jty]

I'll be viewing it from the moon if it occurs next year.
http://static.flickr.com/96/247862713_8c08dae8c9.jpg

[ki4itv]

Kinda sounds cool, if you ask me.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

The really big problem is that the ocean will go up around 10 degrees at the very least.
True, it will cool down, but not before the water table goes up a few feet.
What am I talking about?
The sun that we have now is in a nice alignment with earth.
This non-GM super nova is not in such an alignment, and no matter what car repair place you ask, even click and clack, nobody is going to help.
But, lets say it does boil over, the added solar radiation will add to the overall effect in a way that global will become a massive reality real fast, as even if it were only half as bright as our sun, that is 50% more energy than this planet is ready for.
Poof! half of the population is swimming in new and improved ocean.
You heard right, ocean, as in one of them.
We will need to fire things up and do the Holland thing, everywhere. ;)

[NQ6U]

No it won't, Rudy. It will have very little effect on the Earth other than the extra light and a bombardment of neutrinos, which only react very weakly with other particles. Most of them will pass entirely through the Earth without incident. Betelgeuse is 640 light years away, too far for the infrared or ultraviolet radiation to have any effect. Besides, the "second sun" effect will only last a few weeks--far less time than it would take to change the temperature of the ocean ten degrees.

[KC9ECI]

I'll believe it when I see it. JTY--nice moon shot. BSO, thanks for the link, even if I don't believe it, it was a good read.

[KG4CGC]

Someone say moneyshot moonshot?

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/Sun_Moon_Sky_Stars/707c9165.jpg

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

But if there is not mass panic in the streets how is halliburton going to be able to build that much needed massive dyke system the world needs, on the off chance that the impala, er nova does take off?
Note that, like the other post, this one is also in a sarcastic tone.

[KC9ECI]

http://galesvillefiredepartment.org/kc9eci/moon2004.JPG

I'll see your moon shot and raise you mine. 2004, telescope the kid found at a yard sale and I held a crap (by today's standards) digital camera to the eyepiece and snapped this shot.

[KE7DKN]

According to News.Com.Au, the red giant star Betelgeuse (in the constellation Orion) is losing mass rapidly and appears to be heading towards exploding as super nova--possibly as soon as 2012. If that happens, there will essentially be no night on Earth for several weeks. Article here. (http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/tatooines-twin-suns-coming-to-a-planet-near-you-just-as-soon-as-betelgeuse-explodes/story-fn5fsgyc-1225991009247)

Please consider reading this article/blog (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/21/betelgeuse-and-2012/).

[KG4CGC]

What's that, Tom? About 800mm?

[KG4CGC]

Please consider reading this article/blog (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/21/betelgeuse-and-2012/).
Aw come on! Don't ruin our fun with reason! When do I get to light the pitchforks?

[KE7DKN]

Aw come on! Don't ruin our fun with reason! When do I get to light the pitchforks?

As soon as I sharpen my torch.


That's... not what it sounds like it is.

[KC9ECI]

What's that, Tom? About 800mm?

Good question. No clue. I'll have to go dig the thing out and look when I have time.

[N8YX]

I imagine that Zaphod Beeblebrox might be upset by this turn of events.

[N2CHX]

Please consider reading this article/blog (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/21/betelgeuse-and-2012/).

That's exactly what I was going to post.

[kb2crk]

well if it goes supernova next year, wont it be about 7 generations before we see the light??? you know, like that speed of light physics thingy????

[W3MIV]

well if it goes supernova next year, wont it be about 7 generations before we see the light??? you know, like that speed of light physics thingy????

Didn't do too well in physics, did you?

[ad4mg]

well if it goes supernova next year, wont it be about 7 generations before we see the light??? you know, like that speed of light physics thingy????
It may have already gone supernova. At ~600 light years distant, it takes that long for the light from the star to reach us. If/when the day arrives that we do see the explosion, we will be viewing an event already 600 years old.

[NQ6U]

It may have already gone supernova. At ~600 light years distant, it takes that long for the light from the star to reach us. If/when the day arrives that we do see the explosion, we will be viewing an event already 600 years old.

Bingo.

[kb2crk]

600 years and seven generations is not too far off

[KC2UGV]

600 years and seven generations is not too far off

But, if the supernova occurred 599 years, and 364 days ago, we would see it tomorrow for the first time. Remember, everything we see from there today occurred 600 years ago.

[NQ6U]

600 years and seven generations is not too far off

True, but it ignores the fact that Betelgeuse might have gone supernova 600 years ago and the light might reach us any second now.

[WØTKX]

It's all relative, at the point of the observer(s). ;)

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

If it had happened there is nothing anyone can do about it.
But, if it does get here, and the light is at half the brightness of the sun, it would be quite wild.
First off, it would upset night and day bigtime, as we would have a weak sun where night should be, 24 hour lighting without any added expense.
The growing season would increase production overnight, as there would be no overnight.
The average exposure to sun would be not as bad, as both the UV and IR rays would be less, but by how much is still only a theory.
Things like solar cells would work better and dozens of satellites that are useless due to bad batteries would again work 24 hours.
On the negative side, our bodies would have trouble adapting.
2 months of fun!

[WØTKX]

There won't be enough energy left when it gets here, Rudy. Thank you for your qualified response as always.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice BEETLEJUICE!

http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/0907/beetlejuice-beetlejuice-beetle-juice-michael-keaton-tim-burt-demotivational-poster-1248914742.jpg

[W3WN]

It may have already gone supernova. At ~600 light years distant, it takes that long for the light from the star to reach us. If/when the day arrives that we do see the explosion, we will be viewing an event already 600 years old.
And at a distance of 600 lightyears, if and when that star explodes into a supernova, if it's light is bright enough in the night time sky to rival the sun... we've got bigger problems.

[NQ6U]

And at a distance of 600 lightyears, if and when that star explodes into a supernova, if it's light is bright enough in the night time sky to rival the sun... we've got bigger problems.

Yeah--there's going to be a run on aluminum foil as people rush to black out their bedroom windows so they can get some shuteye!

Seriously, I give much more credence to what was said on Bad Astronomer than I do to that Aussie news site. I just thought it was kind of fun.

[kb2crk]

But, if the supernova occurred 599 years, and 364 days ago, we would see it tomorrow for the first time. Remember, everything we see from there today occurred 600 years ago.

i do comprehend that. this is why i said if it were to go super nova in 2012 it would be around seven generations before we knew anything. i was then told i was not good at physics. but ok i am just a dumbass who said the same thing a different way and nobody got it so get i told i am wrong and explained the process again.
i got it to begin with. read my post closer next time.

[kb2crk]

True, but it ignores the fact that Betelgeuse might have gone supernova 600 years ago and the light might reach us any second now.

and you are quite right fine man.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

3863

[N2NH]

Hello.

3863

Goodbye.

http://www.gotbroken.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/2009-nissan-murano-rear-side-view.jpg

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

It can always get worse.
3864
And that is the GT model!

[N2NH]

Hello.

It can always get worse.
3864
And that is the GT model!

I'd know. I had one. Lost the brakes going down on a mountain road outside of DC one night... but it managed to stop in time. OTOH I did race an Aston Martin DB4 on the FDR drive one night and had no problems keeping up with it either. Tough little SOB and not as bad as the Pinto Bean with it's self-destruct gas tank.

[kc7jty]

Knew a co worker had one of those with a 350 + 350 turbo.

[n2ize]

I'd know. I had one. Lost the brakes going down on a mountain road outside of DC one night... but it managed to stop in time. OTOH I did race an Aston Martin DB4 on the FDR drive one night and had no problems keeping up with it either. Tough little SOB and not as bad as the Pinto Bean with it's self-destruct gas tank.

reminds me of the night I raced a Ferrari down the LIE at 4:00am for 20 miles. I won too,

[NQ6U]

reminds me of the night I raced a Ferrari down the LIE at 4:00am for 20 miles. I won too,

The winner of that kinds of thing tends to be the person with the biggest balls and the least to lose, not who's got the fastest car.

[KC9ECI]

My only claim to fame in the realm of cars is watching my corvette self destruct around me one morning.

[KG4CGC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbBbFH9fAg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbBbFH9fAg

[KØWVM]

This is going to be an astronomer's wet dream to see that and whomever first discovers it when it does happen. Got a Meade ETX-60AT with the Autostar controller sitting at home. I got it for free this past Christmas from someone who did a repair job to it but wasn't big into the astronomy thing and knew I would be able to do more with it as an experienced (intermediate) amateur astronomer.

This also has a place to add a camera too so I am doing some research to see if I can get a mount to place my Kodak digital camera in there to take some cool photos.

[KØWVM]

PC Mag saying nobody really knows when it will and even points to the article in the OP's post. Saying it will be more like the brightness of the full moon and will hurt your eyes to look at it when it does do that.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376132,00.asp

[KØWVM]

Thought I would throw this video in on the comparison of planets in our solar system compared to the sun and then the sun compared to the giant nuclear power plants out there.

http://wimp.com/biggeststars/

[N7RJD]

It's not a second sun. It's a new sun for the kick off of whatever will replace the Mayan calendar.
I just hope it comes with a swimsuit issue, or maybe a Gretchen issue.

[WØTKX]

Might be interesting to figure out the optimum amateur CCD (or other) capture devices for this event... backyard neutrino detectors and whatnot. A bunch of devices all over the planet could be a cool project for word wide Internet data collection. :dunno:

[W3MIV]

...or maybe a Gretchen issue.

I be willing to make a Gretchen issue.

[KG4CGC]

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/icon/Stone_Map.jpg

[WØTKX]

Oh, cool, there is a way to at least get something of an alert. http://snews.bnl.gov/