FOR Star Wars enthusiasts, there’s no experience quite like gazing longingly into the horizon as dual suns dip below it.
However, what’s often seen as a creation of George Lucas’s fantasy is, in fact, a tangible occurrence. The exciting news is that twin suns may soon grace our skies.
Indeed, in the near future, we could witness a second sun illuminate the heavens, albeit temporarily.
The notorious red super-giant star Betelgeuse, located in Orion’s nebula, is anticipated to explode, and experts predict that its impending supernova might make its presence known to Earth before 2012. When that moment arrives, our most cherished Star Wars visions will manifest.
This second largest star in the universe is undergoing mass loss, a common sign of an impending gravitational collapse.
According to Dr. Brad Carter, Senior Lecturer of Physics at the University of Southern Queensland, this event will grant us our second sun.
“This aging star is depleting its internal fuel,” Dr. Carter explained.
“This fuel is what enables Betelgeuse to shine and maintain itself. Once this fuel is exhausted, the star will collapse in on itself rapidly.”
An immense explosion will ensue, billions of times brighter than our sun.
The unfortunate aspect is that this event could transpire in a million years. But who’s keeping track?
What matters is that, eventually, daylight will break through the night for a few weeks on Earth.
“This will be the star’s ultimate display,” states Dr. Carter.
“It erupts, it detonates, illuminating the sky…we’ll experience exceptional brightness for a short duration of a couple of weeks, followed by a gradual dimming over the succeeding months until it becomes barely visible.”
The internet is abuzz with doomsday theories, asserting that the forthcoming supernova aligns with the Mayan calendar’s doomsday forecast for 2012.
Such conspiracy theories are fueled by the name “Betelgeuse,” which has devilish connotations.
However, its roots trace back to the Arabic term “yad Al Jauza,” translating to the “hand of Al-Jauza,” referring to a cryptic woman believed to oversee the universe’s order. This hasn’t deterred many from preparing their bunkers and hoarding canned goods.
Contrary to signaling an apocalypse, Dr. Carter suggests that a supernova would enrich Earth with essential elements for survival and continuity.
“When a star explodes, our initial indication of it will be a torrent of minuscule particles called neutrinos,” Dr. Carter stated.
“They will permeate the Earth, and interestingly, although the supernova visible to us will illuminate the night sky, 99 percent of its energy is released in these particles, which will pass harmlessly through our bodies and the Earth.”
Supernovae like Betelgeuse create crucial elements necessary for life on Earth.
Essentially, our entire planet and solar system are composed of materials forged in stars, including many heavy elements found in the Periodic Table.
“It essentially forms elements such as gold, silver—all the heavier elements—even uranium…. a star like Betelgeuse generates a plethora of heavy elements and atoms that are part of our Earth and bodies, derived from past supernovae,” Dr. Carter elaborated.
Some scientists propose that the explosion of Betelgeuse could lead to the creation of a neutron star or a black hole, situated around 1300 light years from Earth, but Dr. Carter notes it could go either route.
“There’s a fairly balanced likelihood of either a neutron star or a black hole,” he remarked.
“If I had to guess, I’d lean towards it becoming a black hole at 20 solar masses.”
by David Livingstone
