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i was reading something where they were saying it is possible to watch a supernova "live"!
That just sounds silly (unless i'm thinking about it wrong), when you consider the light from the supernova takes many years to travel to our neck of the wood.....
Were the authors perhaps referring to the "live" event as something that happened a long time ago, but the process/explosion is so quick (matter of days) that you'd be able to see the 'whole thing', even though it actually happened maybe millions of years ago?
i was reading something where they were saying it is possible to watch a supernova "live"!
That just sounds silly (unless i'm thinking about it wrong), when you consider the light from the supernova takes many years to travel to our neck of the wood.....
Were the authors perhaps referring to the "live" event as something that happened a long time ago, but the process/explosion is so quick (matter of days) that you'd be able to see the 'whole thing', even though it actually happened maybe millions of years ago?
thoughts?
At a guess, it probably means a live webcast discussing the event. Are you talking about this? Galaxy M82 is about 12 million light years away. It was observed January 21, 2014 at the University of London Observatory by Dr Steve Fossey and a team of 4 of his students.
At a guess, it probably means a live webcast discussing the event. Are you talking about this? Galaxy M82 is about 12 million light years away. It was observed January 21, 2014 at the University of London Observatory by Dr Steve Fossey and a team of 4 of his students.
If that's not what you're talking about, then it'd be really helpful if you'd post a link to the article.
It is possible to see a supernova. At the time we see it from our viewpoint here on Earth, that's what it would appear to us now. In that sense it would be "live". However, since the supernova is an huge distance away, what we would be seeing is the light from it. But the light from the event would've traveled x number of years to reach us. So if the event is 100,000 light years away, then we are just now seeing an event that happened 100,000 light years ago.
On the other hand, if what you are wondering about is the duration of a supernova explosion, the explosion itself can be just a matter of seconds. But that's only part of it because the superheated interstellar gas can remain bright in X-rays for tens of thousands of years as the force of the bast plows through it.
You can never actually see events the instant they happen because they are always events of the past. If the Sun were to suddenly vanish, it'd take about 8 minutes before we'd know anything about it.
Well, if our OWN Sun were to go, half of us (or so) would get to see it live (or 7 minutes or so delayed). But somehow, I don't think that's what's on the playlist.
Then again, I don't think our own Sun COULD go supernova, as it's not big enough.
Perish the thought that anyone would wanna sell tix for that event. LOL
Well, if our OWN Sun were to go, half of us (or so) would get to see it live (or 7 minutes or so delayed). But somehow, I don't think that's what's on the playlist.
Then again, I don't think our own Sun COULD go supernova, as it's not big enough.
Perish the thought that anyone would wanna sell tix for that event. LOL
You're right on both counts. The only reason for mentioning 'the Sun going out or disappearing' scenario is just to illustrate that it would take a few minutes before anyone would notice because that's how far away it is from us.
If your in the front row of a rock concert, listening to Rihanna jam out her latest music, and she's 20 feet away, your seeing her perform LIVE.
Are you, though?
Sure, your there, your at the concert, and she's only 20 feet away!
But light takes 20 nanoseconds to get to you 20 feet away. (1 nanosecond per foot). So what is LIVE to you, is PAST for her.
Same thing with the supernovae, they are LIVE to you, but there's a lot more distance between you, and many more nanoseconds.
Everything is relative.
OK, I can't take it anymore! The word is "you're" as in you are, not "your" as in belonging to you. They are not interchangeable. Take that Mr. Brainiac! And I will correct you on another point, Rihanna creates noise not music.
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And I will correct you on another point, Rihanna creates noise not music.
