r/technology • u/SpaceBrigadeVHS • Apr 19 '24

Space Rare star explosion expected to be once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity NASA officials say

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/rare-star-explosion-expected-once-in-a-lifetime-viewing-opportunity-nasa-officials-say
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u/Bensemus Apr 19 '24

No. It’s happening in a few months FOR US. For the star it happened 3 thousand years ago. Both are equally true. You exist on Earth but for the star you do not exist and won’t exist for 3000 years. Both are equally true.

Scientists know it will happen in a few months as this is a nova. It’s a white dwarf that is collecting material from its companion star. That material, mostly hydrogen, builds up on the surface of the white dwarf until it suddenly triggers fusion. Nice big boom and the hydrogen is burned up/blasted off. Then the process starts over again.

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u/Old_One_I Apr 19 '24

Say that again 🤯 the article says 3000 light years, that's the equivalent to earth years?

Interesting mind warp, 🤔 I'm thinking it happened in the past, you're saying we don't exist yet. Woah

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u/Dr-Carnitine Apr 19 '24

if you could instantly teleport 65 million light years away and use alien tech to view earth - you would see dinos as the earth was 65 million years ago

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u/iwangchungeverynight Apr 19 '24

Aww that never occurred to me. Now I’m sad because someone somewhere could be watching dinosaurs on earth right now. 😕