"In our Universe, stars are born, stars live, and stars die. Because they live so much longer than we do, we expect stars to live forever. But they won't. They will all eventually die. Including our sun."
Get ready folks. We might be primed for a once in a generation (or more) show. What kind of a show? A light show, of the highest magnitude. Our friend Betelgeuse, the red giant who has been a part of Orion's Belt for just about forever, is showing signs it might, it just might, be ready to give it up. It could happen tonight. It could happen this year. Or - it could happen in a thousand years or more. However, in 2019, Betelgeuse started showing it might be closer to the end than we thought.
First a word about the size of Betelgeuse. If we had Betelgeuse instead of our sun, that massive star would be taking up a good portion of the solar system. Like maybe as far out as Jupiter. But it is a red giant, which means it lives a powerful, yet short life. I have read many articles about when our red friend will put on the show of shows. The consensus of the experts? Don't know for sure. They can estimate and guess based on periods of higher brightness and so forth, but there are still too many other variables to consider.
Let's say for a minute it does blow in our lifetime. It would be quite the show to say the least. The resulting super nova, would illuminate our sky like something we have not seen before. It is estimated, that during the darkness of night, it would be as bright as the Moon. During the brightness of daytime, it could still be visible. The hazards to Earthlings from this explosion? None. Just a great lightshow which could last up to a year.
In our Universe, stars are born, stars live, and stars die. Because they live so much longer than we do, we expect stars to live forever. But they won't. They will all eventually die. Including our sun. But not to worry, unless your worry stone takes you out a billion years or so. Betelgeuse was born with a DNA which gave it a short lifespan. It lived powerful, and will die a powerful death.
BTW - Betelgeuse is not Michael Keaton nor is it the former Mayor of Chicago. Betelgeuse is much, much grander. When Betelgeuse blows, and I hope it is sooner rather than later, it will be the cosmic show of shows. I have my seat already reserved. It is called my back yard.
Actually the red supergiant Betelgeuse (the name may derive from an Arabic reference to Orion's *armpit*) traditionally marks one of the figure's shoulders. I'd like to see it blow too, but the news hasn't been particularly encouraging.
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