Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse!Follow

So, over the weekend in my browsing of some Astronomy sites & forums, I came upon a recent rumor involving the star Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse, is a red variable star, which means it's huge (if it was in our Sun's spot, it would go out to the asteroid belt) & it's brightness changes. It's brightness changes, because it's dying. In fact, it's shrunk 15% since 1993 as of last year (about the orbit of Venus). If you look up in the sky, it's Orion's left shoulder.

Now the rumor is from someone at the Mauna Kea Observatory, is that Betelgeuse is no longer round. That means, instead of a prediction of us seeing a Type II (core collapse) supernova from 600ish years ago (as it's about 600 light years away depending on different estimates) in the next 1000+ years, it could be weeks or months away.

This, would be the coolest fucking thing any of us would ever see. Don't worry, it won't hurt us. Despite the very lethal gamma ray bursts it emits at light speed, it only does so from it's poles which aren't aimed at us. What it would mean, though, would be the brightest star in the sky for months (could be about twice as bright as the full moon) and that it can be seen during the day.

Too bad it's currently in the southern hemisphere.


Edited, Jun 1st 2010 6:28pm by Omegavegeta

Wasted on the Savages that barely have the motor movement to look at the sky!

Take that million out; it's really only 640 or so LY away. I can only imagine Omega had a brain fart while composing the OP.

edit: brain farts abound

Edited, Jun 1st 2010 2:45pm by Debalic

Er, Omega. Sorry, that was *my* brain fart.

On topic: how do you all pronounce this star's name? Do you go the Hollywood route and say "beetle-juice"? I have, for the longest time, referred to it as "bay'-tel-goose".

The astronomy peeps I hang out with as a kid at the National Science Center always pronounced it "Bay-tell-juice." Sort of a hybrid of the two.

ignore this post

Edited, Jun 1st 2010 4:54pm by trickybeck

From what I've learned, our Sun may swell out to the orbit of Earth or Mars during its death throes, but Betelgeuse has always been larger than that, and set to implode very soon.

I haven't seen any evidence that the supernova would knock a star off its rotational axis. I mean, it's not like releasing a balloon that whirls around at random as it deflates.

Bad Astronomer is someone I know and happen to trust, has this to say about reports that Betelgeuse is about to go Supernova. Why I would love to be able to see a star die like this in my lifetime, I realize chances are against me ever being so lucky.

Then with my Luck, I just may find tomorrow someone wants to put a Freeway through our solar system.

<3 Phil Plait. Probably my favorite blogger, bar none.

I think it's cool because it inspired me to read about stuff I usually ignore.

So you're saying Orion is going to rip off his own arm and beat us to death with it?