http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/science-updates/earth-could-temporarily-bask-under-two-suns-as-early-as-next-year-physicist-saysCollapsing bright star could eliminate night for a few weeks
BY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
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The Earth could be getting a second sun, at least temporarily, and maybe as soon as next year, if an Australian physicist is correct.
Prof. Brad Carter, senior lecturer of physics at the University of Southern Queensland, outlined the scenario for Australia-based news.com.au. Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, Carter said, is losing mass, an indication it is collapsing. He said could run out of fuel and go super-nova at any time.
Carter told news.com.au that when that happens, for at least a few weeks, people would see a second sun in the daytime sky and there may also be no night during that period.
Remember the end of "2001, A Space Odyssey?" The Earth with two suns? Carter said the scenario could happen as early as 2012.
The star's explosion could also cause a neutron star or result in the formation of a black hole 1,300 light years from Earth, he told news.com.au.
Carter said if the star does go super-nova, Earth will be showered with harmless particles.
"They will flood through the Earth and bizarrely enough, even though the supernova we see visually will light up the night sky," he said. "99 percent of the energy in the supernova is released in these particles that will come through our bodies and through the Earth with absolutely no harm whatsoever."
Carter said a neutrino shower could be beneficial to Earth. He said this "star stuff" makes up the universe. "It literally makes things like gold, silver -- all the heavy elements -- even things like uranium ... a star like Betelgeuse is instantly forming for us all sorts of heavy elements and atoms that our own Earth and our own bodies have from long past supernovi," he said."
Olisi
:santa:
Muuten 2012!!!122420549050495049530459034