Betelgeuse Supernova , Will Be Clearly Visible From Earth.
'Newsweek' reports that a spectacular night sky
show might be in store for Earth as our stellar
neighbor Betelgeuse nears its end.
Approximately 650 light years from Earth,
Betelgeuse has been growing increasingly bright,
reaching 142% of its normal luminosity in May.
Scientists believe this brightening
is a sign the star may be
preparing to go supernova.
When it occurs, the stellar explosion is expected
to appear clearly in both the day and nighttime
sky, appearing about as bright as a full moon.
The red supergiant, which is approximately
15 to 20 times larger than our Sun,
is located in the Orion constellation.
[After the supernova] Betelgeuse
would then fade over the next several
months but remain visible in
the daytime for six to 12 months, Albert Zijlstra, Professor of astrophysics at the
University of Manchester, via 'The Conversation'.
At night, you should be
able to see it with the naked eye
for another one or two years, Albert Zijlstra, Professor of astrophysics at the
University of Manchester, via 'The Conversation'.
But after that, we would never
see it again—Orion would
forever lose its red sparkle, Albert Zijlstra, Professor of astrophysics at the
University of Manchester, via 'The Conversation'.
But after that, we would never
see it again—Orion would
forever lose its red sparkle, Albert Zijlstra, Professor of astrophysics at the
University of Manchester, via 'The Conversation'.
'Newsweek' reports that the last supernova that was visible
from Earth occurred in 1987, when SN 1987A reached its
fiery end in the neighboring Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy.
Before that, SN 1604, otherwise known as
Kepler's Supernova, occurred in 1604 and was
bright enough to be visible during the day