Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Super Nova?

From the Huff Post:  -- Betelgeuse, one of the night sky's brightest stars, is losing mass, indicating it is collapsing. It could run out of fuel and go super-nova at any time.--

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/20/two-suns-twin-stars_n_811864.html

But NASA says, --There is no reason to think the supergiant star Betelgeuse will become a supernova anytime soon, and when it does explode, it is too far away to hurt us.--

So, it looks like the Big B will go supernova soon, as long as " soon" means in the next 10,000 years.  There are changes to the star, but it is a variable star.  Such changes may just be part of its normal cycle.  If it did go supernova, it would be thrilling and sad.  Thrilling because we would see this amazing event; sad because there goes a beautiful friend in Orion.

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