[Scourge of Ages]

Right now AKA 1000 years ago.

I was gonna say that
This is really cool thinking about this and knowing that it propbably won't burn the life off of Earth, like Capella at point-blank range...

[iamzack]

[Nohiki]

i hope it goes off tomorrow and turns into a black hole and sucks up the whole universe that would be cool

Till all are one! FOR CYBERTRON!

[Mefustae]

Pure nerdage.

I see... I understand now...

[FreeSpaceFreak]

Huh, according to Wikipedia, a type 1a supernova (commonly caused by teeny weeny white dwarfs) is much more dangerous than other types (commonly caused by massive red giants). Why is that? It seems rather illogical.

[headdie]

Huh, according to Wikipedia, a type 1a supernova (commonly caused by teeny weeny white dwarfs) is much more dangerous than other types (commonly caused by massive red giants). Why is that? It seems rather illogical.

try this

near Earth supernova [See Link] is a supernova that occurs close enough to the Earth (less than 100 light-years away) to have noticeable effects on its biosphere. Gamma rays from a supernova induce a chemical reaction in the upper atmosphere, converting molecular nitrogen into nitrogen oxides, depleting the ozone layer enough to expose the surface to harmful solar and cosmic radiation. This has been proposed as the cause of the Ordovician extinction - [See link], which resulted in the death of nearly 60% of the oceanic life on Earth.
Type Ia supernova [See Link] are thought to be potentially the most dangerous if they occur close enough to the Earth. Because these supernova occur from dim, common white dwarf stars, it is likely that a supernova that could affect the Earth will occur unpredictably and take place in a star system that is not well studied. The closest known candidate is IK Pegasi [See Link]
Recent estimates predict that a Type II supernova would have to be closer than 26 light-years to destroy half of the Earth's ozone layer.

So basically a type 1a kicks out a greater density of gamma rays if i understand this right

[Flipside]

Well, as I understand black holes, which admittedly, is probably a fair bit out of date, collapsing into a Black Hole won't increase the gravitational effect of Betelguise in any way, it'll still have the same gravitic strength it always had, it'll just be compacted into a much smaller focus.

For example, if every last molecule of the Sun was instantly collapsed down until it formed a black hole, it would kill life on Earth, but the Earth itself would just keep orbitting the tiny black hole as it's centre of gravity, because the strength of the gravity would be the same.

i know all that it was a joke if you take me srs one more time i swear i will draw a mustache on you while you sleep

And if you get any more paranoid, I'll tell you that someone drew a mustache on you while you were asleep

[newman]

Wikipedia states Betelgeuse is believed to be some 640 light years away. So if we see the nova tomorrow, it will have actually happened over 600 years ago, meaning it's entirely possible the Betelgeuse star doesn't exist anymore and hasn't for hundreds of years. I always wonder how many of the stars I see in the night sky don't exist anymore.. always found the thought intriguing.

[Kosh]

Let's listen to the Bad Astronomer:

It’s the question of when that the two articles go off the rails. Betelgeuse may explode tomorrow night, or it may not go kerblooie until the year 100,000 A.D. We don’t know. But given that huge range, the odds of it blowing up next year are pretty slim. And clearly, the original article was really trying to tie in the 2012 date to this, even when it has nothing to do with anything. The tie-in was a rickety link to scuttlebutt on the web about it, but that’s about it.

What’s worse, the HuffPo article attributes the date to Dr. Carter himself, but in the original article he never says anything about it; the connection is all made by the article author. Given how popular HuffPo is, I imagine a lot of people will now think an actual scientist is saying Betelgeuse will blow up in 2012.

OK then, tell you what: I’m an actual scientist, and I would give the odds of Betelgeuse going supernova in 2012 at all — let alone close to December, the supposed doomsdate — as many thousands to one against. It’s not impossible, it’s just really really really really really really really unlikely.

Really.

So, doesn't sound like much.

[Titan]

So how does this affect the first missions of FreeSpace?

[Pred the Penguin]

Still sounds like fun though... Not sure how'd it influence the Earth aside from night/day cycles of a few organisms if at all.

BUT BIG BOOM IS FUN!

[Shade]

Let's listen to the Bad Astronomer: Stuff.

Screw that. We were promised a big boom. Now they'd better deliver.

[Nuclear1]

So how does this affect the first missions of FreeSpace?

NEBULA MISSIONS!!!!111

[Solatar]

So how does this affect the first missions of FreeSpace?

Eve of Destruction involves the Orff being smashed by a supernova?

[headdie]

So how does this affect the first missions of FreeSpace?

Eve of Destruction involves the Orff being smashed by a supernova?

It would explain the engine failure

[watsisname]

Huh, according to Wikipedia, a type 1a supernova (commonly caused by teeny weeny white dwarfs) is much more dangerous than other types (commonly caused by massive red giants). Why is that? It seems rather illogical.

try this

near Earth supernova [See Link] is a supernova that occurs close enough to the Earth (less than 100 light-years away) to have noticeable effects on its biosphere. Gamma rays from a supernova induce a chemical reaction in the upper atmosphere, converting molecular nitrogen into nitrogen oxides, depleting the ozone layer enough to expose the surface to harmful solar and cosmic radiation. This has been proposed as the cause of the Ordovician extinction - [See link], which resulted in the death of nearly 60% of the oceanic life on Earth.
Type Ia supernova [See Link] are thought to be potentially the most dangerous if they occur close enough to the Earth. Because these supernova occur from dim, common white dwarf stars, it is likely that a supernova that could affect the Earth will occur unpredictably and take place in a star system that is not well studied. The closest known candidate is IK Pegasi [See Link]
Recent estimates predict that a Type II supernova would have to be closer than 26 light-years to destroy half of the Earth's ozone layer.

So basically a type 1a kicks out a greater density of gamma rays if i understand this right

No, they're just more dangerous because the progenitor stars for type 1a supernova (white dwarfs) aren't as noticeable as their type II counterparts (supergiants).  So it's possible that there's a white dwarf nearby that's about to go supernova which we haven't discovered yet.

[Mongoose]

Let's listen to the Bad Astronomer: Stuff.

Screw that. We were promised a big boom. Now they'd better deliver.

"There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering KABOOM!"

[Kolgena]

Huh, according to Wikipedia, a type 1a supernova (commonly caused by teeny weeny white dwarfs) is much more dangerous than other types (commonly caused by massive red giants). Why is that? It seems rather illogical.

try this

near Earth supernova [See Link] is a supernova that occurs close enough to the Earth (less than 100 light-years away) to have noticeable effects on its biosphere. Gamma rays from a supernova induce a chemical reaction in the upper atmosphere, converting molecular nitrogen into nitrogen oxides, depleting the ozone layer enough to expose the surface to harmful solar and cosmic radiation. This has been proposed as the cause of the Ordovician extinction - [See link], which resulted in the death of nearly 60% of the oceanic life on Earth.
Type Ia supernova [See Link] are thought to be potentially the most dangerous if they occur close enough to the Earth. Because these supernova occur from dim, common white dwarf stars, it is likely that a supernova that could affect the Earth will occur unpredictably and take place in a star system that is not well studied. The closest known candidate is IK Pegasi [See Link]
Recent estimates predict that a Type II supernova would have to be closer than 26 light-years to destroy half of the Earth's ozone layer.

So basically a type 1a kicks out a greater density of gamma rays if i understand this right

No, they're just more dangerous because the progenitor stars for type 1a supernova (white dwarfs) aren't as noticeable as their type II counterparts (supergiants).  So it's possible that there's a white dwarf nearby that's about to go supernova which we haven't discovered yet.

I fail to see what good forewarning would do for us. "Hey guys, we're about to be cooked by gamma rays." "Really? Well ****."

[Mars]

I think it's because there aren't any stars of sufficient size to go type II nova near us and cause a problem.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Aren't there 2 not only close enough by to wipe out the entire solar system but aimed right at us?  It's just a matter of when they did go off or will go off.  Gamma ray burst could arrive now or not for billions of years.