Starship Asterisk*

Today's picture of the Witches Broom mentions a supernova that would have been seen 12,000 years ago. A few days ago a picture of the Orion's belt stars contained a link which mentioned that Mintaka is a very massive multiple that will become a supernova at some time in the future. I assume, since it is at roughly the same distance as the Witches Broom supernova, that we're at a safe distance and will be able to enjoy the fireworks with no ill effects. Is that correct? How close would a supernova have to be to pose a threat to this planet? Are there any likely supernova at that distance or closer?

Ollie

Hello All

Hello wellinburger

2007 January 1
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070101.html
NGC 6960: The Witch's Broom Nebula

Our solar system every few hundred million years goes through some form of nebula, creating chaos. The last was responsible for the giant reptile extinction.

For the next hunded million years it smooth flying.

Except for the comet that will sooner or later hit us - and we are far enough away from other suns so supernova aint an issue - though we might get a rogue black hole come our way and wouldnt even know its there till its to late theres lots of scary things out their that we just cannot prepare for but so far we have been lucky

Hello All


Comets are more frequent and yes one will hit earth, its not a question of "IF" but of "WHEN".

That's life.


As for a blackhole, for get it. Very rear.

IIRC, the approximate minimum safe distance for Earth to be separated from a (typical) supernova explosion is roughly 26 light years, and this is unlikely to happen within the next billion years or so.

Gamma-ray bursts would be dangerous to a much greater distance (several thousand light years), but are even more unlikely to occur anytime soon.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/s ... 21216.html

Does anyone still remember eta Carinae ?

It is at an estimated 7500 light years ?

But it is an estimated 100+ solar masses, maybe 150.

That will be one really big bang, and the neutrino shower should be amazing,
and it may already have nova-ed . gone nova.

16 march 2006 apod

A regular 1a nova at 55 light years would be most visible and I'd personally love to see it! I remember comet Hale-Bopp in 1997 , I was on my way to Nevada and at Walker Lake, near Hawthorne, it was so dark and the comet so bright !!! An event of a lifetime, and completely serendipitous.

Gamma-ray bursts would be dangerous to a much greater distance

Do we know what causes these yet?

No, not conclusively, but suspicions lie in the direction of binary neutron stars in close orbit and when they tough surfaces upon spiraling into each other, that causes the burst; or maybe it is from neutron star-quakes disrupting the surface shell.

Hello All

For those that want eta carinae info.


http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apo ... ta+Carinae

Hello All

Gamma ray bursts I thought come out of jets.


A Jet is a Jet, Big or Small: Scale Invariance of Black Hole Jets
http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/HIGHLIGH ... 308_e.html


Cosmic Tornado HH49/50
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060203.html

Neutron Star Imitates Black Hole
http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/news/CircinusX-1/

[20.06] Coronae and Jet Properties of the Black Hole Candidates Cyg X-1 and GX339-4 Over Many Years and Many Decades in Eddington Flux
http://www.aas.org/publications/baas/v3 ... 04/354.htm