Super Nova?

[The Caffeine Kid]

At the risk of sounding/looking dumb can anyone else see a REALLY bright "star" to the south-west ish? No other stars are visible here and its so bright it's freaking me out. LOL

[Zoot]

Venus?

[The Caffeine Kid]

Possibly... hopefully... LOL

It's just I've never seen something that bright in the sky before that isn't the sun/moon or a plane/helicopter.


Edit: I'm dumb.

http://stargazing.suite101.com/article. ... ruary_2009

Shame it's not a super nova though.

[Cloudane]

I think we'd have been told ages ago that there was one brewing if so

Would be really nice to see one day.

[zip accident]

I think we'd have been told ages ago that there was one brewing if so

Would be really nice to see one day.

They start up quite quickly I think. Also, if they are too close, they are dangerous to all of us, so please be careful what you wish for.

[F-ZeroOne]

"Venus" is virtually the default answer for any mysteriously bright object seen at night.

I believe the nearest star to us that is even close to going super nova is Betelgeuse (yes, Ford Prefects home town and named, apparently, after the Arabic for "armpit" - how Hitchhikers is that?!), and in astronomical terms "close" means "within the next thousand years or so, give or take". Its about 500 light years away, so I think we're reasonably safe. Its got a distinctive red colour (due to it being, I guess, a red giant).

And if it did check out, even Venus would probably feel a bit in the dark. Close supernovae tend to be bright.

Can't resist:



No, not that kind of Bright!

[toxibunny]

I thought beetlejuice was like a red dwarf or something, and therefore in no danger of going nova...

orion, right? beetlejuice is the pinkish one on the top-left, and rigel is the yellowish one on the bottom-right...
edit: neither of which are in the famous belt, who's names I have no chance of remembering...




edit: ah, red GIANT...

[zip accident]

"Venus" is virtually the default answer for any mysteriously bright object seen at night.

Yeah, but I thought it tended to be low, and just before sunset. I've been seeing something about where venus is being alleged to be, and didn't even think of venus because it's well after sunset, and relatively high.

It's going to be "Duh, that's summer, this is winter " isn't it?

[F-ZeroOne]

I'm still learning about this stuff myself, but based on current observational evidence (gathered by, er, me) Venus is relatively high in the sky at the moment, at least between about 19:00 - 21:30.

[ElfQrin]

Stellarium, free, for Windows, Linux, Mac. v0.10.1 was released just 2 days ago, with a new GUI. You can see on screen the sky as is out of your window, and identify objects. Also, Geody Space can generate scripts for it (to point a specific star).

[pogo]

Definitely Venus. It's been there or thereabouts for a month now, and with the many clear and cold evenings we've had I've seen it often on the way home as it gets dark.

[Zoot]

"Venus" is virtually the default answer for any mysteriously bright object seen at night.

Not for me, matey I spend far too much time looking at the night sky for satellites, and have software on my computer that tells me what is where at any time. IN other words, I am a space geek!

[The Caffeine Kid]

It's bloody high in the sky. If it was a few degrees from the horizon when the sun went down I would have realised more quickly. It's just sooo bright it threw me off.

I guess my space-geekiness must have faded out. I have a big telescope too but not had it out for years and kind of let my astronomy fall by the wayside (like most things) due to the blessing and the curse known as the internet.

[Axeman]

I believe the nearest star to us that is even close to going super nova is Betelgeuse (yes, Ford Prefects home town and named, apparently, after the Arabic for "armpit" - how Hitchhikers is that?!), and in astronomical terms "close" means "within the next thousand years or so, give or take". Its about 500 light years away, so I think we're reasonably safe. Its got a distinctive red colour (due to it being, I guess, a red giant).

Well considering we look back in time whenever we look up at the night sky, you have to wonder when someone says 'oh we have a few thousand years left before this star explodes' do you think they actually remember to take the distance/time ratio into account?

I mean they could see something and think 'oh that looks like it will explode in 1000 years', forget to factor in time difference, but in reality the object has already exploded about 999 years ago and is hurtling towards our planet.

[Firefox]

I have a big telescope too but not had it out for years