Betelgeuse is behaving oddly

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I can't wait to become the Hulk.

Imagine you're on the inside of a bubble 1285 light years across. Imagine there is a gamma burster in the center. What are the odds that it will be pointed directly at you?

ll it takes is once.  Ask the dinosaurs about the combination of the Siberian Trappes and the Asteroid.

The Siberian Traps (Russian: Сибирские траппы, Sibirskiye trappy) is a large region of volcanic rock, known as a large igneous province, in Siberia, Russia. The massive eruptive event that formed the traps is one of the largest known volcanic events in the last 500 million years.

The eruptions continued for roughly two million years and spanned the P–T boundary, or the Permian–Triassic boundary, which occurred between 251 to 250 million years ago.[1][2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Traps

[Cavebear]

Imagine you're on the inside of a bubble 1285 light years across. Imagine there is a gamma burster in the center. What are the odds that it will be pointed directly at you?

ll it takes is once.  Ask the dinosaurs about the combination of the Siberian Trappes and the Asteroid.

The Siberian Traps (Russian: Сибирские траппы, Sibirskiye trappy) is a large region of volcanic rock, known as a large igneous province, in Siberia, Russia. The massive eruptive event that formed the traps is one of the largest known volcanic events in the last 500 million years.

The eruptions continued for roughly two million years and spanned the P–T boundary, or the Permian–Triassic boundary, which occurred between 251 to 250 million years ago.[1][2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Traps

Oh darn, I meant the Deccan Traps. Sorry about that.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

ll it takes is once.  Ask the dinosaurs about the combination of the Siberian Trappes and the Asteroid.

The Siberian Traps (Russian: Сибирские траппы, Sibirskiye trappy) is a large region of volcanic rock, known as a large igneous province, in Siberia, Russia. The massive eruptive event that formed the traps is one of the largest known volcanic events in the last 500 million years.

The eruptions continued for roughly two million years and spanned the P–T boundary, or the Permian–Triassic boundary, which occurred between 251 to 250 million years ago.[1][2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Traps

Oh darn, I meant the Deccan Traps.  Sorry about that.

Chicxulub crater
There is some evidence to link the Deccan Traps eruption to the contemporaneous asteroid impact that created the nearly antipodal Chicxulub crater in the Mexican state of Yucatán. Although the Deccan Traps began erupting well before the impact, argon-argon dating suggests that the impact may have caused an increase in permeability that allowed magma to reach the surface and produced the most voluminous flows, accounting for around 70% of the volume.[21] The combination of the asteroid impact and the resulting increase in eruptive volume may have been responsible for the mass extinctions that occurred at the time that separates the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods, known as the K–Pg boundary.[22][23]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Traps

[Cavebear]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Traps

Oh darn, I meant the Deccan Traps.  Sorry about that.

Chicxulub crater
There is some evidence to link the Deccan Traps eruption to the contemporaneous asteroid impact that created the nearly antipodal Chicxulub crater in the Mexican state of Yucatán. Although the Deccan Traps began erupting well before the impact, argon-argon dating suggests that the impact may have caused an increase in permeability that allowed magma to reach the surface and produced the most voluminous flows, accounting for around 70% of the volume.[21] The combination of the asteroid impact and the resulting increase in eruptive volume may have been responsible for the mass extinctions that occurred at the time that separates the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods, known as the K–Pg boundary.[22][23]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Traps

Yes, I carelessly referred to the wrong massive volcanic eruption. I know the difference. Sue me. LOL!

I WAS wondering about the "argon-argon" dating thinking you meant argon-potassium dating, but I looked it up. I didn't know about that improved isotope dating. Every day I learn something new is a good day. Thanks.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I wasn't being combative, I was adding information.

[Minimalist]

SHE'S GONNA BLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cavebear]

I wasn't being combative, I was adding information.

I know. And I really LIKED realizing that argon-argon made sense using isotopes. That was actually COOL! When I say I like learning new stuff (even if it means my old stuff was wrong), I mean it.

When I was young, I thought the Moon was a blob spun out the molten earth (creating the Pacific Ocean). Or a captured planetoid. Or just a nearby condensing gas cloud along with earth. Those all made some sense. But were all proven unlikely. OK, so the moon didn't exist. Right. So I waited for new ideas from people much smarter than me about the subject.

And then someone figured out it could have been caused by a grazing hit from a smaller body. And then that wasn't right because the far side of the Moon was different. So then someone said, 2 planetoids.

That will do now. Understanding the universe is a journey, not a destination. We will probably be approaching a better understanding of the universe for all our time of existence. And that doesn't bother me.

Theists accept what they are told about the universe by "authority". We others don't. Seek and ye shall find. And the "finding" is the fun...

We all know E=Mc2 (maybe). But that also means that M=E/c2. I wonder where that might lead us. And dark matter and dark energy. There is so much to learn "out there".

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Thea is part of Earth AND the Moon.

[Cavebear]

Thea is part of Earth AND the Moon.

And them is us. We have a massive core because of The, I think, and that has made a difference in our existence. You know, the more I look at the Drake equation, the more I think we might be more alone than I used to think. But then, we keep learning some of the early numbers in the equation might be larger than we thought.

Maybe we will find out someday. Could be good, could be horrid.

[Fireball]

I wasn't being combative, I was adding information.

I know.  And I really LIKED realizing that argon-argon made sense using isotopes.  That was actually COOL!  When I say I like learning new stuff (even if it means my old stuff was wrong), I mean it.

When I was young, I thought the Moon was a blob spun out the molten earth (creating the Pacific Ocean).  Or a captured planetoid.  Or just a nearby condensing gas cloud along with earth.  Those all made some sense.   But were all proven unlikely.  OK, so the moon didn't exist.  Right.  So I waited for new ideas from people much smarter than me about the subject.  

And then someone figured out it could have been caused by a grazing hit from a smaller body.  And then that wasn't right because the far side of the Moon was different.  So then someone said, 2 planetoids.  

That will do now.  Understanding the universe is a journey, not a destination.  We will probably be approaching a better understanding of the universe for all our time of existence.  And that doesn't bother me.  

Theists accept what they are told about the universe by "authority".  We others don't.  Seek and ye shall find.  And the "finding" is the fun...

We all know E=Mc2 (maybe).  But that also means that M=E/c2.  I wonder where that might lead us.  And dark matter and dark energy.  There is so much to learn "out there".

E=Mc^2 is the formula, most physicists agree, not Mc2. The 2 is an exponent. Don't seem to be able to find the superscript formatting in here. In any event, then M=E/(C^2).

[Cavebear]

I wasn't being combative, I was adding information.

I know.  And I really LIKED realizing that argon-argon made sense using isotopes.  That was actually COOL!  When I say I like learning new stuff (even if it means my old stuff was wrong), I mean it.

When I was young, I thought the Moon was a blob spun out the molten earth (creating the Pacific Ocean).  Or a captured planetoid.  Or just a nearby condensing gas cloud along with earth.  Those all made some sense.   But were all proven unlikely.  OK, so the moon didn't exist.  Right.  So I waited for new ideas from people much smarter than me about the subject.  

And then someone figured out it could have been caused by a grazing hit from a smaller body.  And then that wasn't right because the far side of the Moon was different.  So then someone said, 2 planetoids.  

That will do now.  Understanding the universe is a journey, not a destination.  We will probably be approaching a better understanding of the universe for all our time of existence.  And that doesn't bother me.  

Theists accept what they are told about the universe by "authority".  We others don't.  Seek and ye shall find.  And the "finding" is the fun...

We all know E=Mc2 (maybe).  But that also means that M=E/c2.  I wonder where that might lead us.  And dark matter and dark energy.  There is so much to learn "out there".

E=Mc^2 is the formula, most physicists agree, not Mc2. The 2 is an exponent. Don't seem to be able to find the superscript formatting in here. In any event, then M=E/(C^2).

DUH! All this time I thought it was c*2. NOT. What a marroon...

[Fireball]

S'ok. Ignorance can be fixed. Maroon you ain't, not even an ultramarine. Maybe a little red at the moment, but it'll pass. 

[Cavebear]

S'ok. Ignorance can be fixed. Maroon you ain't, not even an ultramarine. Maybe a little red at the moment, but it'll pass. 

You deserved the sarcasm... But I WILL forget about it for the future...

[grympy]

You're right and that's what's happening. We can't see what's going on there right now, only what happened back when.

Oh good,  I was getting confused.

So I looked up "how far is Betelgeuse from earth ?"

Estimates seem to vary from as little as 180 light years  to 1400 light years.

So, anything we witness could have actually occurred a thousand years ago?

Yes. Better estimates place Betelgeuse at 500 to 700 light-years, so the light that you are seeing from it now left Betelgeuse round about the time that Columbus was setting sail.

Slightly off topic. Our sun will not go supernova because it lacks the mass?

Yes.

Instead, it will eventually  just --umm, , the phrase 'white dwarf ' just popped into my head. I have no idea from whence (?)

At the end of its life the sun will expand into a red giant and eventually shed its outer layers. The remaining core will form a slowly cooling white dwarf star.

Whatever,  will it be in millions or billions of years time ?

About another 4 billion years or so. Our sun is round about the middle of its life.

At what point will life (in the shape of say bacteria) cease to exist on earth?

That depends greatly on how you figure life on Earth will end. At the latest, it's going to have some trouble in about 4 billion years when the sun expands and engulfs the Earth. That said, the outer fringes of a red giant star are pretty nebulous, so Earth may well survive the sun's death throes and bacteria might be able to soldier on deep underground. I wouldn't put any money on that though.

 Thanks . 

OT; Whilst  visiting my aunt In Seattle, her hubby brought out his telescope. I saw the rings of Saturn and was awed. 

Would love to take a half decent  telescope to  the Australian outback.   I understand  that astronomers come to Australia from all over the world to see some  phenomena. Full eclipse of the sun?  Halley's comet? ( Due again about 70 years from last visit? )

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Halley's comet will next appear in the night sky in the year 2062. It orbits the sun every 75-76 years, so this is the time between appearances. Halley's comet was recorded by Edmund Halley in 1682. It was seen again in 1758, 1835, 1910, and 1986.

[Minimalist]

I don't expect to be around for it.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I'll be 111 years old. Not impossible.

[Cavebear]

Halley's comet will next appear in the night sky in the year 2062. It orbits the sun every 75-76 years, so this is the time between appearances. Halley's comet was recorded by Edmund Halley in 1682. It was seen again in 1758, 1835, 1910, and 1986.

One of the saddest experiences of my life was not seeing Halley's Comet in 1986. I looked often. The sky was light-washed. the whole time. And I was too poor to afford a car to travel to good seeing then. And I won't live to the return...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Halley's comet will next appear in the night sky in the year 2062. It orbits the sun every 75-76 years, so this is the time between appearances. Halley's comet was recorded by Edmund Halley in 1682. It was seen again in 1758, 1835, 1910, and 1986.

One of the saddest experiences of my life was not seeing Halley's Comet in 1986.  I looked often.  The sky was light-washed. the whole time.  And I was too poor to afford a car to travel to good seeing then.  And I won't live to the return...

Remember comet Khoutek? What a bust.

[Chas]

Apophis is on their scare list.

[grympy]

Halley's comet will next appear in the night sky in the year 2062. It orbits the sun every 75-76 years, so this is the time between appearances. Halley's comet was recorded by Edmund Halley in 1682. It was seen again in 1758, 1835, 1910, and 1986.

One of the saddest experiences of my life was not seeing Halley's Comet in 1986.  I looked often.  The sky was light-washed. the whole time.  And I was too poor to afford a car to travel to good seeing then.  And I won't live to the return...

 Mate if not seeing a comet was one of the saddest experience in your life, you've lead a remarkably uneventful life. 
---of course I'm assuming you're not a sociopath 

Did I see Halley's Comet?   I can't remember . If it was visible by the naked eye in Aunty Adelaide, probably.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The fact that Halley's was the first proven regular period comet makes people think it will be spectacular. In reality performance is variable with any comet. Halley's last visit was an example of this rule.

[Chas]

The fact that Halley's was the first proven regular period comet makes people think it will be spectacular. In reality performance is variable with any comet. Halley's last visit was an example of this rule.

True.  Hale-Bopp made a much more interesting appearance.

[Paleophyte]

I saw Halley's Comet when it made its last pass but it was a complete bust. Barely visible without a telescope. Hale-Bopp was more impressive but Hyakutake had them both beat hands down. It spanned so much of the sky at one point that astronomers in the northern hemisphere had to call their colleagues in the southern hemisphere to find out where it ended.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Nobody remember Kohoutek?