EldwinSchrodinger @ The fundamentals of the sizes of the universe.
Have you ever wondered. how big is BIG? and whats earth and our sun compared to the trillions of galaxies in the universe?
now lets imagine the sizes all starting from an electron. ;)
Electrons -----> 2.82 × 10^15 metresPhotons -----> 10^15 metres
Atom -----> 0.1 nanometres
Virus -----> 25 - 250 nanometres
Human hair -----> 56 - 181 µmetres
Mercury -----> 4880 Kilometres
Mars -----> 6794 Kilometres
Venus -----> 12104 Kilometres
Earth -----> 12756 Kilometres
Neptune -----> 49532 Kilometres
Saturn -----> 108728 Kilometres
Jupiter -----> 142984 Kilometres
Sun -----> 1392500 Kilometres
Sirius A -----> 2506500 Kilometres
Pollux -----> 6962500 KilometresArcturus -----> 33420000 Kilometres
Rigel -----> 86335000 Kilometres
Beteiguese -----> 905125000 Kilometres
Antares -----> 1108430000 Kilometres
Mu Cephei -----> 3481250000 Kilometres
W Cephei -----> 3676200000 Kilometres
W cephei is about earth's diameter times 288194!Astronomers predict that Betelgeuse will ultimately undergo a type II Supernova explosion although it is possible that the mass is low enough for Betelgeuse to leave a rare oxygen-neon white dwarf. Opinions are divided as to the likely timescale for this event. Although Betelgeuse is 
only around 10 million years old, some regard the star's current variability as suggesting that it is already in the carbon burning phase of its life cycle, and will therefore undergo a supernova explosion at some time in the next thousand years or so. Skeptics dispute this contention and regard the star as being likely to survive much longer. There is a consensus that such a supernova would be a spectacular astronomical event, but would not — being so distant — represent any significant threat to life on Earth.
Even so, Betelgeuse would brighten at least 10,000 times as a supernova, causing it to shine with the luminosity of a crescent Moon. Some sources predict a maximum apparent magnitude equal to about that of the full Moon (mv = -12.5). This would likely last for several months. It would look like a brilliant point, the brightness of a full Moon with the color of an incandescent bulb at night, and easily visible in daylight. After that period it would gradually diminish until after some months or years it would disappear from naked eye view. Then Orion's right shoulder would vanish for a time until, in a few centuries, a splendid nebula would develop. However, if Betelgeuse's axis (one of its poles) is pointed towards Earth there would be tangible effects here such as the aftermath of the GRB (gamma ray burst) from a supernova or wolf rayet star. A shower of gamma rays and other cosmic particles would be directed at Earth. There would be spectacular aurorae and possibly a measurable diminution of the Ozone layer with consequent adverse radiation effects on life. In such an orientation towards the solar system it would also appear many times brighter than if its axis were pointed away.
Betelgeuse could have turned into a red giant star. It is known that as stars use up the hydrogen fuel in their cores, their color changes from white to yellow to red. suggest that Betelgeuse could have changed its color when it expelled a shell of dust and gas, that, even now, can be seen to be expanding away from it. Thus, if their theory is right, it is unlikely that Betelgeuse will become a supernova any time soon because a star usually stays a red giant for tens of thousands of years. The approximate size of the red supergiant is 5.5 times larger than Earth's orbit itself being 822,788,285 kilometres.
Labels: Astronomy
