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Not the film but one of the stars in Orion which has dimmed more than 50% from its usual magnitude. It’s a massive star, in our solar system it would take up all the space out to Jupiter and has dimmed before but not to such a large degree. It’s expected to go supernova anytime in the next 100,000 years and would outshine the moon in the sky. Most scientists think this dimming is just the star acting weirdly rather than it about to explode but it would dim in this way when it’s ready to go bang.
Can you imagine looking up at Orion and one of the main stars no longer being there? It’s the one in the top left which makes up the hunters body and is already noticeably dimmer than usual.
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 20:45 - Jan 17 by Dubtractor
New Bladerunner is brilliant. Nods to the original, and a very similar feel, but its absolutely its own film.
Was slightly disappointed with it. But always feel the same about the original. Stylistically wonderful. But always feels like a worthy chore to watch it all.
New mad max was great.
The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it.
(Sir Terry Pratchett)
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 18:53 - Jan 17 by jeera
Mind-blowing isn't it.
When we hear speak of light years, the distances are so ridiculous it just seems too far fetched when people speak of visitors to this planet.
It's much more likely Earth will live and die and no one will even know we were even here surely.
It's certainly possible for a civilisation of sufficient technological level to visit other star systems. It's unlikely they abduct Americans in the desert but there have been studies showing that the whole milky way could be colonised in somewhere around 90m years using slower-than-light transport and exponential expansion.
Perhaps worth considering why it hasn't already happened then given the dinosaurs were going strong not long before that.
There is no scientific reason that humans, if they survived another 500+ years could start to expand beyond the solar system though. There is already talk of sending a micro-probe to our closest star, Proxima Centauri at 25% the speed of light. It would take about 18 years to get there at that speed.
SB
Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula
0
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 20:57 - Jan 19 with 3380 views
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 21:07 - Jan 17 by PremierBlue
Betelgeuse is an important star to us as it forms an alignment with our own solar system and the galactic center. Betelgeuse is a focal counterpoint to the galactic center for our solar system and symbolizes that which must come to birth through it.
Its expansive nature and eventual supernova event will signal a successful stage of reorientation of lower desire within our own solar system towards that which is eternal, but the time is not yet. A lesser reflection of this however lies before us.
Hi Gwyneth.
SB
Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula
1
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 21:42 - Jan 19 with 3361 views
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 20:55 - Jan 19 by StokieBlue
It's certainly possible for a civilisation of sufficient technological level to visit other star systems. It's unlikely they abduct Americans in the desert but there have been studies showing that the whole milky way could be colonised in somewhere around 90m years using slower-than-light transport and exponential expansion.
Perhaps worth considering why it hasn't already happened then given the dinosaurs were going strong not long before that.
There is no scientific reason that humans, if they survived another 500+ years could start to expand beyond the solar system though. There is already talk of sending a micro-probe to our closest star, Proxima Centauri at 25% the speed of light. It would take about 18 years to get there at that speed.
SB
But for that to have happened already it would mean a planet inhabited by beings already far more advanced than ours.
On a planet then probably older than ours.
And they would have then have specifically chosen ours to visit ovr all the other millions out there. That's assuming they'd even spotted it.
As for abducting Americans - if any of those stories are true, they certainly have different tastes to me. If I were to choose someone to abduct for some probing tests it sure as hell wouldn't be an over-weight middle-aged man as these claims often turn out to be.
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 21:56 - Jan 19 by jeera
But for that to have happened already it would mean a planet inhabited by beings already far more advanced than ours.
On a planet then probably older than ours.
And they would have then have specifically chosen ours to visit ovr all the other millions out there. That's assuming they'd even spotted it.
As for abducting Americans - if any of those stories are true, they certainly have different tastes to me. If I were to choose someone to abduct for some probing tests it sure as hell wouldn't be an over-weight middle-aged man as these claims often turn out to be.
Evening.
The first 3 points aren't excluded by the exponential expansion hypothesis:
1). No reason why this can't be the case. Intelligence could have developed on earth 100m years ago with the dinosaurs. We also decided to ditch science for about 500 years whilst we went about fighting each other - how much more advanced would we be now if the period between 500AD and 1300AD continued to advance like the previous periods?
2). It's guaranteed there will be planets far older than ours - Betelgeuse is nearly twice as old as our Sun and thus any planets there are likely twice as old as well. Planets formed almost immediately in cosmological time after the formation of the Sun.
3). They wouldn't chose to visit us - they would expand in all directions in an exponential fashion. We don't see this though so it's unlikely to have happened. Targetting of planets wouldn't be hard though, the James Webb Telescope should be able to see extrasolar planets and if you can see them you can make deductions about the atmosphere and possible life using spectroscopy.
The fact that nobody has come could mean various things:
1). They aren't many civilisations in our galaxy or they die off before they can expand. 2). They are on their way but not here yet. 3). They have no interest in exploring. 4). We are one of the first.
It's all very interesting to think about on a Sunday evening, preferably with a nice chilled glass of Harslevelu.
SB
Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula
1
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 22:31 - Jan 19 with 3321 views
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 21:56 - Jan 19 by jeera
But for that to have happened already it would mean a planet inhabited by beings already far more advanced than ours.
On a planet then probably older than ours.
And they would have then have specifically chosen ours to visit ovr all the other millions out there. That's assuming they'd even spotted it.
As for abducting Americans - if any of those stories are true, they certainly have different tastes to me. If I were to choose someone to abduct for some probing tests it sure as hell wouldn't be an over-weight middle-aged man as these claims often turn out to be.
I'm not entirely adverse to the theory that we've already been spotted, but they want to leave us alone until we're sufficiently advanced (on the social level) to be contactable.
Imagine a far-advanced civilisation turning up and some renegade state or group getting their hands on their weapons. It would be a worldwide version of the Musket Wars.
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For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 22:35 - Jan 19 with 3310 views
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 22:27 - Jan 19 by StokieBlue
Evening.
The first 3 points aren't excluded by the exponential expansion hypothesis:
1). No reason why this can't be the case. Intelligence could have developed on earth 100m years ago with the dinosaurs. We also decided to ditch science for about 500 years whilst we went about fighting each other - how much more advanced would we be now if the period between 500AD and 1300AD continued to advance like the previous periods?
2). It's guaranteed there will be planets far older than ours - Betelgeuse is nearly twice as old as our Sun and thus any planets there are likely twice as old as well. Planets formed almost immediately in cosmological time after the formation of the Sun.
3). They wouldn't chose to visit us - they would expand in all directions in an exponential fashion. We don't see this though so it's unlikely to have happened. Targetting of planets wouldn't be hard though, the James Webb Telescope should be able to see extrasolar planets and if you can see them you can make deductions about the atmosphere and possible life using spectroscopy.
The fact that nobody has come could mean various things:
1). They aren't many civilisations in our galaxy or they die off before they can expand. 2). They are on their way but not here yet. 3). They have no interest in exploring. 4). We are one of the first.
It's all very interesting to think about on a Sunday evening, preferably with a nice chilled glass of Harslevelu.
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 22:31 - Jan 19 by Clapham_Junction
I'm not entirely adverse to the theory that we've already been spotted, but they want to leave us alone until we're sufficiently advanced (on the social level) to be contactable.
Imagine a far-advanced civilisation turning up and some renegade state or group getting their hands on their weapons. It would be a worldwide version of the Musket Wars.
If they're intelligent they wouldn't touch us with an interstellar barge pole.
Interesting thread. I've known for some time about the pending question over when Betelgeuse will go nova (or, I should say, when we will see it) but wasn't actually aware of the recent dimming.
Intriguing video I remember watching some time ago which is a simulation of what the Betelgeuse supernova would look like from Earth:
My dad's an astronomy buff and from what he's told me, we'd be able to see the light of the supernova during the day, while at night it would outshine the moon for weeks or even months. Bit of a mixed blessing for stargazers - a fascinating sight, but it'll obliterate the light from fainter stars and objects!
I can't help imagining how society would react if they saw this happen though. Mass hysteria in ignorance of what was going on.
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For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 22:43 - Jan 19 with 3292 views
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 22:41 - Jan 19 by NoCanariesAllowed
Interesting thread. I've known for some time about the pending question over when Betelgeuse will go nova (or, I should say, when we will see it) but wasn't actually aware of the recent dimming.
Intriguing video I remember watching some time ago which is a simulation of what the Betelgeuse supernova would look like from Earth:
My dad's an astronomy buff and from what he's told me, we'd be able to see the light of the supernova during the day, while at night it would outshine the moon for weeks or even months. Bit of a mixed blessing for stargazers - a fascinating sight, but it'll obliterate the light from fainter stars and objects!
I can't help imagining how society would react if they saw this happen though. Mass hysteria in ignorance of what was going on.
It would definitely be visible in the day but I think most astronomers would be happy to have their usual work interrupted by such a monumental and once-in-a-lifetime event.
I don't think anyone would panic, it's not the 1600's, people understand how things work with lovely aids like your video. Supernovas aren't a particularly hard concept to understand.
SB
Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula
0
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 22:51 - Jan 19 with 3265 views
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 22:47 - Jan 19 by StokieBlue
It would definitely be visible in the day but I think most astronomers would be happy to have their usual work interrupted by such a monumental and once-in-a-lifetime event.
I don't think anyone would panic, it's not the 1600's, people understand how things work with lovely aids like your video. Supernovas aren't a particularly hard concept to understand.
SB
Well perhaps not 'mass hysteria' but I think you'd get the Nibiru/Planet X nutters rearing their heads and various other species of nonsense spreading through social media. Hopefully extinguished fairly quickly but you know what the modern world is like for buying misinformation over experts/science.
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For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 09:52 - Jan 20 with 3212 views
For astronomy fans - Betelgeuse on 22:41 - Jan 19 by NoCanariesAllowed
Interesting thread. I've known for some time about the pending question over when Betelgeuse will go nova (or, I should say, when we will see it) but wasn't actually aware of the recent dimming.
Intriguing video I remember watching some time ago which is a simulation of what the Betelgeuse supernova would look like from Earth:
My dad's an astronomy buff and from what he's told me, we'd be able to see the light of the supernova during the day, while at night it would outshine the moon for weeks or even months. Bit of a mixed blessing for stargazers - a fascinating sight, but it'll obliterate the light from fainter stars and objects!
I can't help imagining how society would react if they saw this happen though. Mass hysteria in ignorance of what was going on.
That would certainly be a pain for checking my compass error.
During twilight hours I use stars for checking my position with a sextant.
During the day we do sun run sun.
Has your old man had a play with a sextant? I went to Kielder Observatory and got asked to talk about the use of a Marine Sextant.
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