What is the next star that will explode?

On my live video chat. I was asked when the star Betelgeuse will explode. I answer that, and talk about a couple of other stars, too. Incidentally, Sher 25 is about 20,000 light year away, not 6 as I say in the video (I was thinking light years, not parsecs).

Links for all this are on my blog: http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2008/02/24/what-star-will-blow-up-next/

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• astronomy
• supernova
• star
• explode
• space
• phil
• plait

[krebul]

What's cool is the star may have already blown up. The light from the explosion just hasn't reached earth yet.

[n0rdeck52]

Back in the year 1054, numerous peoples across Earth recorded the sighting of a "new star" that was so bright it was visible during the day for 23 days before fading from view. The remains of the explosion are what we call the Crab Nebula.

[TheCrimsonIdol987]

@R3AN1MAT10N: It's actually spelled Betelgeuse.

Just don't say it three times.

[R3AN1MAT10N]

Beetlejuice? Really?

[azizbhai]

stay tuned? it can happen thousands of years from now...

[johnrcoben]

@gsmonks Riiiight...

[gsmonks]

@johnrcoben H'm . . . well . . . I'd get an up-to-date textbook if I was you.

[johnrcoben]

@gsmonks Despite repeating yourself, you're still not accurate according to my textbook.

[rappernaheem]

Thanks for the info, Subbed :)

[gsmonks]

@johnrcoben Sure it is. Iron is far too stable to exist conjoined to the seething interior of a star. The point at which iron is manufactured is also the point at which the star blows up.

[johnrcoben]

@gsmonks that's not right at all

[EVLWNS]

Whoa, I just freaked out for a second - those shelves, the colour of the wall and those doors made me think that this was recorded in my bedroom.