Betelgeuse: Star's weird dimming sparks rumors that its death is imminent

[–] ScorpioGlitch 5 points (+5|-0)

640 light years away

So... was 640 years ago. For all we know, it's already gone and is a black hole.

[–] xyzzy [OP] 5 points (+5|-0)

Yes, but we can probably see it supernova any minute now. Likely in the next 10000 years.

[–] ScorpioGlitch 4 points (+4|-0)

In the next 5,256,000,000,000 minutes. But any one of them...

[–] [Deleted] 3 points (+3|-0)

iirc its too small to become a black hole

[–] ScorpioGlitch 3 points (+3|-0)

It's not impossible: https://www.quora.com/Will-the-star-Betelgeuse-become-a-black-hole

[–] PCaut 2 points (+2|-0)

To summarise it, we have no idea what's going to happen. A few educated guesses. That's all.

The thing I'm worried about are pulses of high-energy-whatever sterilising half our planet, unopposed by solar wind and earth atmosphere. This would really ruin my day, even if it burned the opposite side. Can this object produce something like that?

[–] xyzzy [OP] 1 points (+1|-0)

Can this object produce something like that?

No, it's too far away. It could ruin planets more in it's proximity though.

Betelgeuse: Star's weird dimming sparks rumors that its death is imminent

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/s/Astronomy