Betelgeuse Supernova

[JamesF]

The children and I were discussing the other day that Betelgeuse could have gone supernova hundreds of years ago and we wouldn't even know about it yet because it takes so long for the light to get here. For the first time however I actually worked out what it meant in historical terms. Even given the closest estimate for the star, it turns out that Betelgeuse could have gone supernova shortly after Henry VIII took the throne, and we still wouldn't know. I quite like to think of it in those terms

James

[Tinker1947]

I think our part of the galaxy is due a SN, would be nice to see a white dot in day light...

[Episkey]

Interesting! I hope I'm able to witness a bright daytime supernova in my lifetime.

[Earl]

The photons I captured from M31 a few nights back left that galaxy over 2 million years ago.....

To try and put that into terms we can relate too is very hard.

[Monty]

Geeeeeeeeez don't put headlines up light that...

I'm not young ya know!

[paul schofield]

I also think of distances along those terms. Things like M8 Lagoon Nebula light left there 2000 years before Jesus walked the earth. M63 when light left there the Dinosaurs had only been gone for 28 million years. M18 cluster light left 3000 years before the fall of the roman empire etc. It gives astronomy an air of majesty for me to think of it in those terms. It blows my mind that some distant galaxies threw their light towards us before the solar system was even a distant thought. Sorry to go on but you started it.

[Marki]

Had me for a moment too...

[JamesF]

The photons I captured from M31 a few nights back left that galaxy over 2 million years ago.....

To try and put that into terms we can relate too is very hard.

I like "before homo sapiens evolved" for that one

James

[JamesF]

I also think of distances along those terms. Things like M8 Lagoon Nebula light left there 2000 years before Jesus walked the earth. M63 when light left there the Dinosaurs had only been gone for 28 million years. M18 cluster light left 3000 years before the fall of the roman empire etc. It gives astronomy an air of majesty for me to think of it in those terms. It blows my mind that some distant galaxies threw their light towards us before the solar system was even a distant thought. Sorry to go on but you started it.

I think they're great ways to think about the time and distance involved.2000 light years is hard to grasp, but "the light left M8 at the height of the ancient Egyptian civilisation" really helps put it into perspective.

Perhaps there should be a plugin for Stellarium that tells you what was happening on Earth at the same time that light left the object you have selected

James

[paul schofield]

That sounds like a great idea James.

I think they're great ways to think about the time and distance involved.2000 light years is hard to grasp, but "the light left M8 at the height of the ancient Egyptian civilisation" really helps put it into perspective.

Perhaps there should be a plugin for Stellarium that tells you what was happening on Earth at the same time that light left the object you have selected

James

[sologuitarist61]

Perhaps there should be a plugin for Stellarium that tells you what was happening on Earth at the same time that light left the object you have selected

James

What a great idea James, I need something to play with on Stellarium - I am fed up now with seeing how large the moon/sun/Jupiter/Saturn et al - will appear through my various EP's!!

[Hals]

I wouldn't mind a nice supernova in our part of the galaxy either...but not too close eh !

I think that both Betelgeuse and Antares are future candidates and are reasonably close to be utterly spectacular.

Eta Carinae too, although it's too far south to be seen from the UK.

I'd like a list of other "nearby" candidate stars too - that would be cool.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I like "before homo sapiens evolved" for that one

James

Forget Homo Sapiens, 2 million yrs ago was even before the time of Homo Erectus.

2 million years......................

That covers the whole time period (and then some) of the complete evolution of our species up til this point.

Mind you.......2 million years ago........."Lucy", the oldest fossil ever found that resembles anything close to what we evolved from/into had been dead for about 1.3 million years.

Think i need to go listen to Monty Pythons song about the universe.

I'm just worried that if Beetlejuice goes SN in our lifetime that i will no longer be able to find Orion in the night sky.

LOL.

[JamesF]

You're quite right. I'm miscounting my zeros

James

[Hawksmoor]

I too, like to relate light years to events. I also tried to fit my tiny life into the fabric of time, its quite difficult. If interested in my attempts follow links:

http://george-artcabinedujardin.blogspot.co.uk/#!/2012/07/the-spiral-galaxy-in-andromeda.html

http://george-artcabinedujardin.blogspot.co.uk/#!/2012/06/connections-in-time-and-space.html

http://george-artcabinedujardin.blogspot.co.uk/#!/2012/06/time-is-slippery-stuff.html

[Gary23]

The children and I were discussing the other day that Betelgeuse could have gone supernova hundreds of years ago and we wouldn't even know about it yet because it takes so long for the light to get here. For the first time however I actually worked out what it meant in historical terms. Even given the closest estimate for the star, it turns out that Betelgeuse could have gone supernova shortly after Henry VIII took the throne, and we still wouldn't know. I quite like to think of it in those terms

James

Puts things into perspective. It's good being able to relate it to something that people will know, I think some of the large numbers can get a little overwhelming at times.

[Mr Noble]

Blimey - read the post title and tout it had gone off already! Maybe it has

[JamesF]

Blimey - read the post title and tout it had gone off already! Maybe it has

If I was to be the bringer of such glad tidings I'd at least post it in "Heads Up"

James

[John]

A while back there was a supernova visible in amateur scopes in a faint galaxy somewhere between Ursa Minor and Ursa Major. I forget the galaxy just now though. I managed to pick the SN out with my 10" scope - it was shining at around mag 13 or so. When I looked up the details of the galaxy I realised that the event that I was viewing occurred around 69 million years ago - when dinosaurs still walked the earth. Stuff like that is why I do the hobby I think

[JamesF]

2011by, perhaps. I quite like the idea that we can be looking at something that happened when the dinosaurs were alive, too

James

[Black Knight]

Perhaps there should be a plugin for Stellarium that tells you what was happening on Earth at the same time that light left the object you have selected

James

That sounds like a great project to while away a few cloudy evenings. You may have just nominated yourself!

[Black Knight]

Interesting! I hope I'm able to witness a bright daytime supernova in my lifetime.

We'd never actually see it. It would be obscured by clouds!

[ObscuredbyClouds]

We'd never actually see it. It would be obscured by clouds!

You rang lol :grin:

Interesting post though, looking at some of the comments its no wonder it mangles my mind when trying to think how long/far that light has travelled which we are viewing

[Spec-Chum]

Interesting post though, looking at some of the comments its no wonder it mangles my mind when trying to think how long/far that light has travelled which we are viewing

Indeed, even tho M31 is "just a fuzzy blob" I stare at it for ages in awe of what I'm actually looking at! A galaxy, a whole *other* galaxy 2.5 MILLION(!) light-years away!

That "just a fuzzy blob" fascinates me...

[Shibby]

I think our part of the galaxy is due a SN, would be nice to see a white dot in day light...

Interesting! I hope I'm able to witness a bright daytime supernova in my lifetime.

Not me! It'd be exciting, yes, but would be the end of DSO astronomy for us! (Supposedly the SN would be 3x brighter than the full moon).