Is there a star getting ready to explode?

Question

My daughter came home from school and said her teacher said there was a distant star way out in the universe getting ready to explode. "Super Nova" I know if this is true it did millions of years ago, we are just able to finally see it now. But was wondering if anyone else has heard about this?

Answer 1

yeah Britney Spears

Answer 2

Most supernovae do happen millions of light years away, in other galaxies. Being so far away, we have no way of observing these stars until they do explode, so we have no idea where the next one is coming from.

Within our own galaxy, we can observe stars from 4 light years to tens of thousands of light years away. We can tell by their evolutionary stage that some stars will go supernova soon. Unfortunately, "soon" in stellar evolution terms can mean some time in the next million years. One star, Eta Carinae, is so active that astronomers think it will blow up within the next 10,000 years. Red supergiants such as Betelgeuse and Antares are also heading for a supernova. Although the final fusion phase of such a star lasts only a few days, we have so far no way of telling exactly what fusion activity is taking place within the star, and so no way of spotting a star on the verge of a supernova.

Answer 3

The last supernova in our galaxy was Kepler's Star in 1604. The Crab Nebula in Taurus is the aftermath of a supernova which exploded in 1054. There was a supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud in 1987, discovered by Dr. Ian Shelton. Supernovas are observed regularly in other galaxies, several a year. The most likely candidate in our neighbourhood is Eta Carinae, which could explode any time. Even Betelgeuse is a likely candidate. My friend Peter Jedicke wrote a song about it (to the tune of Edelweiss):

Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse,
Bright red star in Orion.
Very soon, you'll go boom,
You're worth keeping my eye on.

Answer 4

Stars are exploding all the time. Its that the ones in our galaxy are the ones that make the astronomy news. Its a common occurrence. The only time we have to worry if its a star that goes nova anywhere within 1,000 light years of us. Then we at least will have time to kiss everybody good bye. The Gamma radiation would sterilize this planet.

Answer 5

she is correct as far as that goes, but incorrect in assuming that we know of a specific one

there is almost certainly a distant star that has gone supernova, but that we haven't seen yet. so that part is true

however, as far as what we can see, the chances are excellent that within the next 100 years, one will be observable in our part of the sky (but still be in another galaxy)

astronomers have no good information about any particular star about to supernova. chances are the next star to do so will be in another galaxy, and we don't have the means to distinguish stars in other galaxies yet

Answer 6

Stars pass nova, that's what happens. It happens plenty. could reason astrologers themes with orion lacking a nook, yet then they have adequate to be worrying approximately with the procession of the earth inflicting the massive call signs and indicators to be mis aligned with their historic dates and now the existance of a thirteenth sign.

Answer 7

yeah i did, a while back