Comments on: Betelguese fades a full magnitude https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/ Thu, 02 Jan 2020 06:18:01 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: pzatchok https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074624 Thu, 02 Jan 2020 06:18:01 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074624 Its another one of those extra-terrestrial constructs that blocks out some of the light coming from a few stars.

They are building fleets. Fleets the size of solar systems.

Or someone forgot to pay the power bill.

]]> By: Lee S https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074542 Tue, 31 Dec 2019 06:23:36 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074542 @ Paul Sventek, thank you my friend!!! I’m mostly into planetary viewing.. I only have a hodgepodge 4″ refractor built from a Soviet era extremely huge telescopic photo lens, an interesting combination of prisms and some old microscope lenses… But it works…
Now I have something extra solar to get excited about, and a project for the kids to at the very least get kudos in science about!!
A very good year to you my friend… And thank you once more!!!

]]> By: Paul Sventek https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074532 Tue, 31 Dec 2019 02:56:06 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074532 Lee,

Learn to find the star Algol (Beta Persei) in the constellation of Perseus. It is an eclipsing binary star with an orbital period of 2.86 days. It’s not hard to find predictions for the middle of the eclipse when the star is a little more than 2.5 times fainter than when it isn’t in eclipse. There’s a star near it which is about the same brightness as when Algol is in maximum eclipse so it’s easy to tell when Algol is normal brightness or not. The difference is quite striking even to the naked eye. It’s been called the Demon Star for thousands of years.

]]> By: Lee S https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074518 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 18:38:17 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074518 The constellation of Orion is my favourite, and spectacular here in the winter, in a reasonable dark area the nebula is clearly visible with the naked eye.
Unfortunately so far this winter the sky has been overcast every time I have been outside in the evening, but when we finally get a clear sky it will be interesting to see if the dimming is noticeable… I actually hope so.. of course we see the planets change position, and the phases of the moon etc… But to see with the naked eye another star change would be kinda cool.
( And if course we should all keep fingers crossed it does go Nova… Then I could show my daughter what she is named after…)

]]> By: wayne https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074515 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 16:10:11 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074515 F16 Guy–
Yow, Hilarious! I about spewed my coffee all over the keyboard.

Diane
Good stuff!

“I’ve done…questionable things.”
(nothing the God of bio-mechanics wouldn’t let you into heaven for)
https://youtu.be/wRxHYHPzs7s
2:36

]]> By: Diane Wilson https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074513 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 15:49:41 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074513 Also quoting Blade Runner,
“If only you could see what I’ve seen with your eyes.”

]]> By: F16 Guy https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074512 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 15:45:47 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074512 I didn’t read the article since I saw the movie……lol.
https://www.indiewire.com/2013/03/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-tim-burtons-beetlejuice-100152/

]]> By: Col Beausabre https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074506 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 05:52:38 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074506 “him” is Arthur C Clarke

]]> By: Col Beausabre https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074505 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 05:50:06 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074505 I first read the “Nine Billion Names of God” as a teenager and it knocked my socks off as I discovered that Science Fiction was more than Space Opera. Further in the paperback was “The Star” – which I consider the most horrifying Christmas Story of all time. The combination caused JBS Haldane to tell him that if he had been more consistent in his religious views as expressed in his stories, he would have been a serious public menace.

Both stories are available on line

]]> By: wayne https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074502 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 03:05:49 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074502 “What Will It Look Like When Betelgeuse Goes Supernova?”
V101 Science 2018
https://youtu.be/hJPVuSNFxlY
4:55

]]> By: Milt https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074501 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 02:49:33 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074501 “Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out.”

Arthur C. Clarke, The Nine Billion Names of God, 1953
https://letras.cabaladada.org/letras/nine_billion_names.pdf

One factual question: As Betelguese dims, is it also getting redder? This would not be atypical, but I have not seen any
discussion of this.

]]> By: M https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074498 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 01:39:28 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074498 The stars are going out.

]]> By: wayne https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074496 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 01:15:24 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074496 David–
excellent cultural reference!

Rutger Hauer
Bladerunner (original)
{-Incept date 1/23/44. 75 year life span.}
“I’ve seen things…..”
https://youtu.be/JdUq2opPY-Q
1:55

]]> By: Ken https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074494 Mon, 30 Dec 2019 00:34:35 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074494 David, very nice!

Blair Ivey, it’s likely related to retreating glaciers /sarc

]]> By: Blair Ivey https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074489 Sun, 29 Dec 2019 22:58:04 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074489 David – nice!

I thought the ‘bad journalism’ might be stories that Betelguese is an ‘indicator star’, and a warning that humans are harming the galaxy.

]]> By: David https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074483 Sun, 29 Dec 2019 20:00:01 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074483 Clearly, the dimming was actually caused by the smoke from the attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. This is 2019 after all!

]]> By: Phill O https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/betelguese-fades-a-full-magnitude/#comment-1074477 Sun, 29 Dec 2019 17:11:13 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=62781#comment-1074477 Thanks for the critique!

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