It was discovered by a scientist named Richard Muller in 1983. It supposedly orbits our sun in the outer reaches of the solar system. Theory has it, every 26 million years it causes mass extinctions on earth, like for instance, the killing of the dinosaurs. This star should easily be visible from earth. Where? I don't know. What do you think?
2007-10-30 17:07:26 · 10 answers · asked by ZORRO 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
If this be true, think it has something to do with the year 2012. Mass extinction of something going to happen?
2007-10-30 17:14:30 · update #1
The Nemesis theory begs at least two questions:
1.) Why Nemesis hasn't been separated from the Sun by gravitational interactions with other stars over the last billion years or so.
2.) Why, despite enormously improved telescopes (including IR telescopes), we haven't seen it yet.
A very small red dwarf at a large fraction of a light year away would be hard to see in visible light, but it would radiate furiously in the near infrared and be easily spotted with instruments like IRAS. There was a time when Nemesis was possible given our state of knowledge, but no more.
2007-10-30 17:18:47 · answer #1 · answered by Engineer-Poet 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The scientific instruments both on earth and in orbit are so sensitive that they could detect someone lighting a match on the moon - from the earth based equipment).
If another sister star existed, it would have been found long ago. There are a lot of people watching th sky and enormous amounts of very techy equipment.
2007-10-30 18:23:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nemesis is a hyphothetical star in one of the theories explanating ELEs (extinction level events). anyway, no such object has ever been detected, otherwise it would already have been listed in the star catalogues. i don't believe it exists. besides, there are more plausible theories out there. but if it were real, wouldn't this make Nemesis "Wormwood" (see Revelations)?
2007-10-30 17:22:23 · answer #3 · answered by m33p0 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No.
Nemesis is a figment of some really creative minds, and the story was brought forth to instill anxiety amongst the people who aren't grounded solidly within a scientific background.
I think it's a shame that so many people have thought that this 'urban legend' even had a chance of being real.
I don't mean to come across as crass, but this question is definitely getting old...
2007-10-30 17:15:43 · answer #4 · answered by Bobby 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hi "Nemesis" is hypothetical and does not explain ALL extinctions. It could, however, cause systematic comet disturbances and collisions. As a red dwarf it would be hard to find but observable if its location was known.
2007-10-30 17:11:38 · answer #5 · answered by Cirric 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's an interesting theory but is not supported by observation, nor is the theory of periodic mass extinctions.
Some info at http://www.nineplanets.org/hypo.html#nemesis
2007-10-30 18:53:02 · answer #6 · answered by Likini Solutions 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, the solar system was never a part of a binary star system.
2007-10-31 11:37:23 · answer #7 · answered by johnandeileen2000 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not visible, because it does not exist (except within Richard Muller's mind, must have been smoking something).
2007-10-30 17:12:07 · answer #8 · answered by BP 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
No. That is just a theory someone came up with
2007-10-30 17:11:53 · answer #9 · answered by Dave S 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Short answer: no.
2007-10-30 19:28:25 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋