The star Betelgeuse going supernova soon?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the potential for the star Betelgeuse to go supernova in the near future, exploring various observations and implications of such an event. Participants discuss the star's characteristics, its distance from Earth, and the possible effects of a supernova on our planet, including brightness and energy output. The conversation includes speculative elements regarding timing and the visibility of the event.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants mention new observations suggesting Betelgeuse is no longer round, indicating a potential imminent supernova.
  • There are claims that when Betelgeuse goes supernova, it could be as bright as the sun for several weeks, leading to significant changes in daylight.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential energy increase on Earth and its effects on weather patterns.
  • Participants discuss the timeline of light travel from Betelgeuse, noting it is approximately 640 light-years away, which means any explosion would take that long to be observed on Earth.
  • Some express skepticism about the timing of the supernova, suggesting it could be centuries away or may have already occurred without our knowledge.
  • There is a discussion about the possibility of detecting neutrinos from the supernova before the light reaches us, although the technology for such detection is limited.
  • Participants question whether the supernova could cause significant damage, comparing it to a gamma-ray burst (GRB) and noting that it would not be as harmful at this distance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of curiosity and concern regarding the potential supernova of Betelgeuse, with no clear consensus on the timing or implications of the event. Some are optimistic about witnessing the spectacle, while others are more cautious about the possible consequences.

Contextual Notes

There are uncertainties regarding the exact timing of Betelgeuse's supernova and its potential effects on Earth, as well as the limitations of current observational technology for detecting neutrinos.

  • #31
rathat said:
I NEED to find out if this is true.

Seriously though, all you need to do is wait and see. In a few weeks you'll know. Before that, nobody can possibly know for sure. I'd love to live to see it, but I don't think the odds are in my favor.

Out of curiosity, why the NEED to find out?
 
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  • #32
I think it will be seen to go nova on December 21, 2012. It will form a rotating black hole with a pulsating torch beam and incinerate the earth.

Perhaps you should consider selling me your house at a steep discount. What with the world ending and all it would be the prudent move.
 
  • #33
rathat said:
I saw something that said it could happen within a few weeks?

source
http://unixronin.livejournal.com/763082.html

can someone verify this?

Well, it still technically COULD. But there's now at least reasonably reliable refutation (alliteration über alles!) of the original, dubious and unverified, report on which all the speculation was based, http://http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/06/01/is-betelgeuse-about-to-blow/" . As was highly probable right from the start, it's just an unverified rumor based on a misunderstanding of already known data. There is no dramatic new observation.

Astronomers have been saying for years that Betelgeuse could easily go at any time within the next thousand years or so, but based on that article, there's no actual direct evidence that it's fixing to do so Right Now. Which is kind of a shame; in addition to being a truly spectacular show, it would have given us huge amounts of data on how a Type II supernova actually happens.

But ... no BOOM! today. Nor probably tomorrow. Maybe next year, or two or three hundred years from now.

"Where is my Betelgeuse-shattering KABOOM? There was supposed to be a Betelgeuse-shattering KABOOM!"
 
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  • #34
Betelgeuse is towards the end of it's life. However the big Kaboom could be in several thousand years as it usually is with stars. It would be cool to watch but unlikely for us to see it. :(
BT
 
  • #35
The challenge now becomes to try to keep this thread alive until it actually does go supernova! (as in, we see it go supernova).
 
  • #36
Glennage said:
So the really lucky folks (for whom Betelgeuse is only visible at night) will get 24 hour days, everybody else will get at least some time with two suns in the sky. The extra hour of light from daylight savings time won't burn the crops, but this might. Probably, all we'll get is visible light (not gamma rays or X-rays), so it shouldn't be an ELE. It's sure going to freak everyone out, though...

Daylight Savings does nothing to add or remove sunlight from crops. Simply offsetting our house clocks doesn't alter the course of the sun.
 

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