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The latest data I've found on the lethal blast radius for a supernova is 50 ly htuttle Dec 2019 #1
A gamma ray burst from Betelgeuse could be bad... backscatter712 Dec 2019 #31
Well. Blue_true Dec 2019 #53
Betelgeuse can't produce a GRB VMA131Marine Dec 2019 #71
Good to know. backscatter712 Dec 2019 #78
From what I've read greytdemocrat Dec 2019 #79
Normally +0.5 magnitude, it is now +1.5 magnitude (the more positive the mag, the dimmer it is) progree Dec 2019 #2
If it's goes supernova, that means it happened 650 year ago. roamer65 Dec 2019 #3
yeah, this "news" is 650 years old ... Hermit-The-Prog Dec 2019 #9
time to warm up the ansible, Chucky 0rganism Dec 2019 #20
Still couldn't send the signal back to Earth any faster blugbox Dec 2019 #84
And modern scientist were lucky enough to witness the tiny speck in time that Blue_true Dec 2019 #54
This message was self-deleted by its author Rainbow Droid Dec 2019 #4
Actually.... AZ8theist Dec 2019 #7
This message was self-deleted by its author Rainbow Droid Dec 2019 #8
LOL, lighten up! nt USALiberal Dec 2019 #14
This message was self-deleted by its author Rainbow Droid Dec 2019 #75
why would think I assumed you were an idiot? AZ8theist Dec 2019 #69
This message was self-deleted by its author Rainbow Droid Dec 2019 #77
Sorry. AZ8theist Dec 2019 #83
This message was self-deleted by its author Rainbow Droid Dec 2019 #85
Thanks for posting this, Zorro! Talitha Dec 2019 #5
If it did explode a long time ago... Snackshack Dec 2019 #6
It depends on what the definition of the word "is" is. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2019 #10
When reached for comment: "I'm already super... On Broaday!" JHB Dec 2019 #11
The dumbest Broadway musical ever PJMcK Dec 2019 #13
Was it worse than the movie? N/t Calista241 Dec 2019 #76
We won't have to wait 650 years Shrek Dec 2019 #12
Can some expert tell me what it would look like if it does supernova? nt USALiberal Dec 2019 #15
Well, it would instantly be the brightest star in the night sky. MineralMan Dec 2019 #17
Thanks MM! And I have fond Compute Magazine memories! Nt USALiberal Dec 2019 #18
Yeah, me, too, although I only wrote for that magazine for a couple of years. MineralMan Dec 2019 #19
PC World...Hmmm, I rec'd that magazine for years being in the RBOC (also Wired, others), ahhh, ... SWBTATTReg Dec 2019 #26
I finally tossed all of my old PC Worlds when we moved to Minnesota. MineralMan Dec 2019 #27
Could be as bright Disaffected Dec 2019 #23
Well, at age 74, I don't have decades to wait, you know! MineralMan Dec 2019 #24
If Betelgeuse blows, it would be bright enough to be visible during the day. backscatter712 Dec 2019 #32
Orion is my go-to constellation. cwydro Dec 2019 #33
It's one of the easiest to spot, for sure. MineralMan Dec 2019 #34
Probably why, lol. cwydro Dec 2019 #36
I'm a Big Dipper fan, because that leads me to Polaris, MineralMan Dec 2019 #37
I wonder if kids even look at the sky anymore. cwydro Dec 2019 #38
I'm sure some do. Probably the same percentage MineralMan Dec 2019 #39
My sister had one too, that she asked for for Christmas. cwydro Dec 2019 #41
Back in the 50s and 60s, my parents were all about MineralMan Dec 2019 #43
Very cool. cwydro Dec 2019 #44
Good parenting! My parents were pretty hands off when it came MineralMan Dec 2019 #45
Yep, we were free to roam. cwydro Dec 2019 #46
Exactly. Most parents these days MineralMan Dec 2019 #47
Lol, mine gave me a bike that dad intended to fix up. It was purple (still my favorite color). cwydro Dec 2019 #48
I skinned my knees pretty good a few times. MineralMan Dec 2019 #49
Lol! Ditto!!! cwydro Dec 2019 #50
It will be brighter than the full moon for a few weeks and visible in the daytime sky. hunter Dec 2019 #25
So cool! Nt USALiberal Dec 2019 #42
Imagine a very very, very bright light, flipping around in the sky. nt Blue_true Dec 2019 #55
I believe it would be visible day and night for several weeks krispos42 Dec 2019 #74
on a cosmic time scale...yes Demonaut Dec 2019 #16
Now THAT would be something. jeffreyi Dec 2019 #21
K&R and thanks. nt tblue37 Dec 2019 #22
Being that it started (relatively speaking here of course) getting dimmer, is the Helium being ... SWBTATTReg Dec 2019 #28
Maybe - we've only been measuring its brightness for a short time astronomically speaking. backscatter712 Dec 2019 #35
Neat! At least we are far enough away and somewhat have a front row seat to when it ... SWBTATTReg Dec 2019 #40
Technically, 650 light years is not very far away. Blue_true Dec 2019 #59
You make sound like its going to irradiate the surface of the earth like something fierce... SWBTATTReg Dec 2019 #66
All your points are sound. Blue_true Dec 2019 #72
Based upon the wavelengths of light being seen, scientists should be able to Blue_true Dec 2019 #58
It has to fuse to the molecular weight of Iron before it can't sustain Blue_true Dec 2019 #56
Wow, I hope Ford Prefect is okay Clash City Rocker Dec 2019 #29
Betelgeuse is 'fainting' but (probably) not about to explode lapucelle Dec 2019 #30
Even if it has fused to Iron, it is many millions of years away from becoming a supernova. nt Blue_true Dec 2019 #60
Er, no VMA131Marine Dec 2019 #81
You are correct. nt Blue_true Dec 2019 #82
What's fun is visualizing the core collapse, then surrounding layers collapsing a split-second later backscatter712 Dec 2019 #87
Just thinking about this makes me feel existentially tiny Buckeyeblue Dec 2019 #51
One of the benefits of religion is, if done properly, it makes us feel more Blue_true Dec 2019 #61
Yes it does. Buckeyeblue Dec 2019 #63
I am a Warm Deist, so by definition I don't believe that we are alone in the vastness of space. Blue_true Dec 2019 #64
The possibility of observing the explosion is higher because defacto7 Dec 2019 #52
Scientist would have to be observing a tiny speck in galaxial time. Blue_true Dec 2019 #62
Yep. I guess the point is defacto7 Dec 2019 #65
If you did, you would have to wait a while. Blue_true Dec 2019 #68
Now that's what I call a supernova watch party. defacto7 Dec 2019 #73
All part of the Cosmic Cycle (or recycle as the case may be) Trailrider1951 Dec 2019 #57
It is truly wonderful stuff isn't it? Blue_true Dec 2019 #70
Since it was said three times (then more) then yes, it will. nt essme Dec 2019 #67
For those curious, a supernova was directly observed in 1054 Takket Dec 2019 #80
It's just too bad that a time frame of "extremely imminent" on the galactic scale blugbox Dec 2019 #86
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