Holy shit they actually caught the booster first time. Unbelievable to watch.
Astronomy & Space Exploration
- Thread starter MrMarcello
- Start date
I think we saw history being made.
That was pretty cool.
Feck SpaceX, probably most important NASA mission in ages about to launch
what is it?
Europa Clipper
Yep, we're off to Europa, maybe to see if there could be life there.
Get Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck on the phone.
Didn't it go up on a SpaceX rocket?
There was an excellent sci fi film about this. Spoiler: it doesn't go great when we sent people to Europa.
This one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Report
However Europa Clipper won't land, so we won't know if Europa Report shows the reality on Europa
However Europa Clipper won't land, so we won't know if Europa Report shows the reality on Europa
Shows my age, I thought the reference was to 2010: Odyssey 2 where Jupiter gets turned into star for the benefit of the native Europans.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c140exemgk7o
Nice article on a star that brightens every eighty years and goes from very dim to visible to the naked eye - but only for a couple of days. Due to happen "soon".
It features an interview with a chap who spotted the brightened star 80 years ago and reported the sighting to the astromener royal - who replied.
He's now hoping that someone will take him to a good spot to see it this time around.
Nice article on a star that brightens every eighty years and goes from very dim to visible to the naked eye - but only for a couple of days. Due to happen "soon".
It features an interview with a chap who spotted the brightened star 80 years ago and reported the sighting to the astromener royal - who replied.
He's now hoping that someone will take him to a good spot to see it this time around.
Good stuff. Cheers, @jojojo!
Back in the day, I was a bit disappointed to learn that the Blaze Star system (much prefer this name to T Corona Borealis) doesn't possess the mass to to go supernova.
At a distance of ~3,000 light-years, a type Ia supernova would've been close enough to be an extremely prominent feature in the skies (and make up for us missing out on the supernovae that ultimately created the Jellyfish and Crab nebulae).
Then again, being bathed in raditation wouldn't have been so nice (“danger zone” for type Ia supernovae is estimated to be in the ~3,200 light-years range, so better safe than sorry).
Back in the day, I was a bit disappointed to learn that the Blaze Star system (much prefer this name to T Corona Borealis) doesn't possess the mass to to go supernova.
At a distance of ~3,000 light-years, a type Ia supernova would've been close enough to be an extremely prominent feature in the skies (and make up for us missing out on the supernovae that ultimately created the Jellyfish and Crab nebulae).
Then again, being bathed in raditation wouldn't have been so nice (“danger zone” for type Ia supernovae is estimated to be in the ~3,200 light-years range, so better safe than sorry).
Is that correct? Surely you use the word "danger" loosely here?
No, that's correct, but only along the rotation axis where a gamma ray burst can happen. Which is an event that's suspected to be the reason for at least one of the big mass extinctions in earth history (late Ordovician).
Oh, I wish I was using the word “danger” loosely!
For reference, 1 parsec ~ 3.26 light-years.
http://spiff.rit.edu/richmond/answers/snrisks.txt
In some cases, you can even get a steady dose of short-duration bursts of heightened radiation, beyond the initial longer-duration burst(s) of heightened radiation.
Oh, I wish I was using the word “danger” loosely!
For reference, 1 parsec ~ 3.26 light-years.
http://spiff.rit.edu/richmond/answers/snrisks.txt
In some cases, you can even get a steady dose of short-duration bursts of heightened radiation, beyond the initial longer-duration burst(s) of heightened radiation.
Only astronomers would still use http. That's how I know the source is reliable (even if I won't click on it).
Edit: though that source does seem to say it wouldn't be... you know, apocalyptic. So that's nice.
I don't think gamma-ray bursts are from Type Ia supernova. Aren't they from a different kind of supernova? A gamma-ray burst would certainly wreck the Earth from 3k light years. Anywhere within the galaxy, really, as long as it's aimed at us.
It wouldn't be an event that sterilizes the Earth or something along those lines by any means, even if you add the mass required to exceed the Chandrasekhar Limit and result in a Type Ia supernova. For sterilization, the Blaze Star system would have to be more proximitous or you would need a more massive Type II supernova where a relativistic jet is aligned with an unfortunate Earth (even at a much greater distance). But it could still cause disturbances in the ionosphere and unnecessarily damage the ozone layer, and expose all manners of life on Earth to harmful radiation. The juice (i.e., temporary gratification and priviledge of being able to witness an extremely prominent feature in the skies) is not worth the squeeze (i.e, elevated threat of harmful radiation endangering a myriad lifeforms on Earth, even if it doesn't result in an apocalypse). Nooo, sir!
I've not heard of a binary nova that isn't a type 1A, and is periodicalGood stuff. Cheers, @jojojo!
Back in the day, I was a bit disappointed to learn that the Blaze Star system (much prefer this name to T Corona Borealis) doesn't possess the mass to to go supernova.
At a distance of ~3,000 light-years, a type Ia supernova would've been close enough to be an extremely prominent feature in the skies (and make up for us missing out on the supernovae that ultimately created the Jellyfish and Crab nebulae).
Then again, being bathed in raditation wouldn't have been so nice (“danger zone” for type Ia supernovae is estimated to be in the ~3,200 light-years range, so better safe than sorry).