Space
Could Betelgeuse explode in our lifetime? According to a new study, the answer is yes.
A team of astronomers led by Hideyuki Sayo (Tohoku University) has discovered that Betelgeuse is much larger than previously thought, more than 1,200 times larger than the Sun. This means that the giant star may be running out of carbon fuel. “Once the carbon in the core is depleted, a core collapse is expected in a few decades, leading to a supernova explosion,” the authors write.
Betelgeuse, one of the most famous stars in the night sky, is located in the constellation Orion and is a red supergiant. Its unusual behavior has caught the attention of astronomers because it may herald a nearby supernova explosion.
Observations show that Betelgeuse periodically changes its brightness and size. This is due to pulsations that occur within the star. The pulsations cause changes in its volume and temperature, which are reflected in the brightness and color we see from Earth.
The model created by Sayo and his colleagues simulates these pulsations and predicts how Betelgeuse’s brightness will change in the future. They claim that their model accurately matches the observed data and provides a unique insight into the inner state of the star.
However, recent observations show that Betelgeuse has become significantly fainter over the past month. This has caused concern among astronomers, as this dramatic change in brightness could be related to an imminent supernova.
However, it is not yet possible to say for sure whether this is a precursor to a supernova or just a temporary change. Astronomers continue to study Betelgeuse, hoping to gather more data to better understand what is going on inside this mysterious star.
Betelgeuse, one of the brightest and most recognizable stars in the night sky, has long attracted the attention of astronomers for its rapid changes. It was described by Ptolemy as an orange-brown star, while Chinese observers saw it as yellow. Recently, astronomers have classified Betelgeuse as a red giant near the end of its life. This means that the star should explode as a supernova in the next hundreds of thousands or millions of years. Betelgeuse has also been found to pulsate, brightening and dimming over periods of a few months to several years.
In 2019, there was an unexpected dimming of Betelgeuse that caused concern among astronomers. They wondered if the star was approaching its supernova. However, further observations showed that the dimming was caused by a dust cloud and that Betelgeuse’s supernova was still a considerable distance away.
Now, scientists from Tohuko University in Japan have come up with a new hypothesis. They have reanalyzed the data and concluded that Betelgeuse may be closer to its supernova than previously thought. They argue that the star is in the late stages of burning carbon in its core and could be the next galactic supernova.
To understand this hypothesis, it is necessary to know how stars change over the course of their lives. Stars are formed from gas, mostly hydrogen and helium. When these gas clouds collapse, the hydrogen nuclei fuse together, releasing enormous amounts of energy. This energy heats the star and prevents it from collapsing further. Eventually, however, the hydrogen fuel runs out and the star begins to burn heavier elements, such as carbon. This causes the star to expand, turn red, and eventually go supernova.
Betelgeuse is already in a late stage of carbon burning, suggesting that it may be closer to its supernova than previously thought. The star’s pulsations also play an important role in this hypothesis. The pulsations cause the star to temporarily brighten and then dim. By measuring these pulsations, scientists can infer the star’s mass and the fusion processes taking place in its core.
If the hypothesis is correct, Betelgeuse could become the next galactic supernova. This event will be observable from Earth and will provide astronomers with a unique opportunity to study the processes that occur during supernovae in nearby galaxies.
According to NASA, a rogue, hyper-speed object, which is over
27,306 times the size of Earth, is hurtling so fast through our galaxy
that it might break free of the Milky Way.
Scientists say they have determined that the mysterious object was
cruising at a breakneck one million miles per hour when they spotted it
more than 400 light years from Earth. One light-year is equal to six
trillion miles.
Could this latest find be connected to the fake alien invasion that has long been in the pipeline?
The Mail Online reorts: While experts have not determined what the newfound celestial body is, they speculated it is a ‘brown dwarf,’ a star which is larger than a planet but lacks the mass to sustain long-term nuclear fusion in its core like Earth’s sun.
If the object confirmed as a brown dwarf, it would be first-ever to
be documented in a chaotic, hyper-speed orbit capable of breaking free
from our home galaxy.
A coalition of citizen-scientists with NASA’s ‘Backyard Worlds: Planet 9’ projectwere the first to spot the celestial body, the US space agency confirmed this week.
‘I can’t describe the level of excitement,’ German citizen-scientist Martin Kabatnik, a long-time member of NASA’s Backyard Worlds program, said in statement.
‘When I first saw how fast it was moving,’ the Nuremberg-based
researcher confessed, ‘I was convinced it must have been reported
already.’
Backyard Worlds citizen-scientists Martin Kabatnik, Thomas P. Bickle
and Dan Caselden were the first to spot this million mph object a few
years ago, earning the hyper-speed object the catalogued name CWISE
J124909.08+362116.0.
According to astronomer Dr Kyle Kremer,
who has collaborated with them on better understanding the object,
several astrophysics theories could explain how the object, CWISE J1249
for short, could have gotten to its incredible speed.
In one theory, CWISE J1249 rocketed out of a two star or binary star
system after its ‘white dwarf’ sister star died off — collapsing in an
explosive runaway nuclear fusion reaction called a supernova.
Another viable theory has it that CWISE J1249 originated inside a
tight cluster of starts called a ‘globular cluster’ where it was flung
free via the pull of a black hole.
‘When a star encounters a black hole binary,’ Dr Kremer said in a
NASA statement on the discovery, ‘the complex dynamics of this
three-body interaction can toss that star right out of the globular
cluster.’
Sławosz Uznański will be the second Pole in space and the first to fly to the International Space Station (ISS).
Uznański revealed that his mission to the ISS is planned for 2025 and will last about two weeks. He will launch from Cape Canaveral on a rocket provided by SpaceX. This journey not only represents a significant milestone for Uznański but also for Polish space exploration.
Last year, Uznański was officially selected for this mission, after which he commenced his training at the European Space Agency’s facility in Cologne, Germany. Initially planned for 2024, the mission faced delays, but new details have recently emerged on Uznański’s social media profiles.
During his two-week stay on the ISS, he will focus on Polish scientific projects and technology tests, including artificial intelligence applications in space and studies on the effects of microgravity on the human immune system.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) received numerous project proposals for Uznański’s mission. Due to limited space, only seven were selected, highlighting the extensive interest and potential impact of this mission.
Uznański will travel to the ISS in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, a vehicle regularly used by NASA for transporting astronauts. The Crew Dragon will be mounted atop a Falcon 9 rocket, with the launch also set to take place at Cape Canaveral. While the exact launch date is yet to be confirmed, preparations are in full swing.
In a move to further his training, Uznański has relocated to Houston, Texas. Starting Monday, he will begin a new training phase at Axiom Space, a partner in the mission, followed by sessions at NASA and SpaceX facilities. This mission not only propels Uznański into space but also significantly advances Poland’s stature in the global aerospace sector.
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