Betelgeuse gonna blow up (2012/doomsday exclusion zone)

[Muffinmix]

Please feel free to discuss 2012, doomsdays, pseudoscience, or science vs. religion or generally anything religious here which is in no way connected to a giant ass star exploding. Everyone else, feel free to mock these idiots for not talking about the coolest thing that will ever happen to us in our lifetimes.

Some rumors going around that Betelgeuse is gonna go supernova in the very near future, due to an increasing number of reports that the thing's been shrinking at an increasing rate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betelgeuse
http://scienceray.com/astronomy/apocalypse-soon-supernova-betelgeuse-is-coming/
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?s=c5e555ecfe7975b54319d2aa66c8a5ac&t=405304

First off, we are completely safe from it. Betelgeuse is 600 light years away, plug that into the equation for the area of a sphere and you'll get an idea of how thinned out the energy from the explosion will be once it reaches here. So don't go apestuff over it.

To give you an idea of how massive this explosion will be, the last known big fat supernova was recorded by quite a few astronomers way back in 1054. All that's left from it is the spectacular Crab Nebula. Note that it was 6300 light years away and was visible in daytime for 23 days straight, and still visible in night time for almost 2 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SN_1054

Betelgeuse is much closer, and some are willing to suggest, much bigger then the late SN 1054 star. Betelgeuse is currently the 9th largest star in the known universe, this will undoubtedly be the biggest and closest boom the earth might ever see. So don't be too surprised when something that looks like a second moon suddenly pops up in the near future.

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[JD]

Not to mention unless the explosion travels faster than the speed of light, we have at least 600 years.

[Tingalz]

Not to mention unless the explosion travels faster than the speed of light, we have at least 600 years.

Not to mention that what we are seeing right now on Betelgeuse was actually happening 600 years ago.

[snot2]

Betelgeuse Betelgeuse Betelgeuse

[Muffinmix]

Not to mention that what we are seeing right now on Betelgeuse was actually happening 600 years ago.

Actually,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wteiuxyqtoM

It happens once the light reaches here. Or to be more precise, both cases are true.

[Sandvich]

Holy stuff sounds awesome.

I'll get the sign saying "we're all going to die" ready to freak people out when it happens 

[Titanium]

I'm particularly looking forward to this.  It will be one of the most, if not the most, notable astronomical events in human history.

Betelgeuse's shape is fluctuating so drastically that currently it is not even round, but oblong.  Hopefully this is an indication that the occurrence timescale of this event will be shortened to weeks or months, rather than centuries.

[Sabbin]

Betelgeuse gonna 'splode.

[Amade]

Due to its age, Betelgeuse may supernova within the next millennium

._.

[Coolio]

I'll get the sign saying "we're all going to die" ready.

[Sandvich]

._.

1-1000 year away :u

atleast our great great great great great great great great great gran children will definitly see it 

[Marcem]

1-1000 day away :u

atleast our great great great great great great great great great gran children will see it 

We'll all have grandchldren in the next 3 years or so?

[Miga]

So wait. If Betelgeuse goes supernova, we'll be able to see it in daytime even?

[Sandvich]

We'll all have grandchldren in the next 3 years or so?

It's morning, I'm tired :C

[Carly]

Kaboom.