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Scientist discovers the most massive star in the universe (soo far)

User is offline   Zaxtor 

#1

http://blastr.com/20...d-mega-star.php
Scientists find mega star 10 MILLION times brighter than the sun

Posted Image
R136a1 may not be the sexiest name for a star, but this one more than makes up for that with enthusiasm, what with being a hypergiant and all. And not just any hypergiant—R136a1 turns out to be the heaviest star EVER found.

According to CNN, Paul Crowther (a professor of astrophysics at England's University of Sheffield) and his team detected R136a1 while using the the Very Large Telescope (original name, huh?) in Chile in conjunction with data from the Hubble Telescope.

What's so special about this star? It's just like the million billion other ones in the sky, right? No. Not by a long shot. Let's break down some of this big guy's stats:

R136a1 At A Glance:

* 10 million times brighter than the sun
* home: the Tarantula Nebula, in the Large Magellanic Cloud
* 165,000 light years away from Earth's Milky Way galaxy
* surface temperatures: 40,000 degrees Celsius (72,000 degrees Fahrenheit), seven times hotter than the sun
* over a million years old, and has already lost 1/5 of its initial mass
* the heaviest star ever found, with a mass roughly 265 times more than our sun
* original solar mass: 320. (astronomers used to think that 150 was the limit).
* Earth would be incinerated if R136a1 were anywhere near us (astronomically speaking)
* fate: in another million years (give or take) the hypergiant will die as it goes supernova
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#2

View PostZaxtor, on Jul 22 2010, 04:32 PM, said:

http://blastr.com/20...d-mega-star.php
Scientists find mega star 10 MILLION times brighter than the sun

Posted Image
R136a1 may not be the sexiest name for a star, but this one more than makes up for that with enthusiasm, what with being a hypergiant and all. And not just any hypergiant—R136a1 turns out to be the heaviest star EVER found.

According to CNN, Paul Crowther (a professor of astrophysics at England's University of Sheffield) and his team detected R136a1 while using the the Very Large Telescope (original name, huh?) in Chile in conjunction with data from the Hubble Telescope.

What's so special about this star? It's just like the million billion other ones in the sky, right? No. Not by a long shot. Let's break down some of this big guy's stats:

R136a1 At A Glance:

* 10 million times brighter than the sun
* home: the Tarantula Nebula, in the Large Magellanic Cloud
* 165,000 light years away from Earth's Milky Way galaxy
* surface temperatures: 40,000 degrees Celsius (72,000 degrees Fahrenheit), seven times hotter than the sun
* over a million years old, and has already lost 1/5 of its initial mass
* the heaviest star ever found, with a mass roughly 265 times more than our sun
* original solar mass: 320. (astronomers used to think that 150 was the limit).
* Earth would be incinerated if R136a1 were anywhere near us (astronomically speaking)
* fate: in another million years (give or take) the hypergiant will die as it goes supernova


Very cool indeed.
-
Smart Ass follow up - gamers find the largest black hole in the known universe - (not naming names) - dev company
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#3

View Postcanada4duke, on Jul 22 2010, 01:35 PM, said:

Very cool indeed.
-
Smart Ass follow up - gamers find the largest black hole in the known universe - (not naming names) - dev company

LOL :)
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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

  • I have the power!

#4

It is pretty cool that we discovered that we don't really understand the universe or how things work by finding a star that is almost twice the mass we thought was the maximum mass of stars.

However, what does it matter? It is over 100,000 light years away! Even our closest star is 4 light years away...

Unless this knowledge in some way helps us advance in technology, what purpose does it serve? It is cool, but kind of pointless.
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User is online   Sangman 

#5

Having an idea about how the universe works is pointless? ok
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User is offline   Kathy 

#6

Perhaps he meant that it's pointless for this generation.

Also, 2 million years life for a star is kind of short, isn't it?
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#7

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jul 23 2010, 01:05 PM, said:

It is pretty cool that we discovered that we don't really understand the universe or how things work by finding a star that is almost twice the mass we thought was the maximum mass of stars.

However, what does it matter? It is over 100,000 light years away! Even our closest star is 4 light years away...

Unless this knowledge in some way helps us advance in technology, what purpose does it serve? It is cool, but kind of pointless.


Just to give blackharted a break, I'll take this one.

Kinda like that space between your ears...what purpose does it serve? It is cool (how all those neurons can fire but nothing intelligent ever comes out), but kind of pointless.

/kidding
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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

  • I have the power!

#8

Does it benefit anyone here besides making them money? I hate to take the utilitarian perspective here, but even if there are other inhabited planets, we are alone in the universe. It would be cool to travel through the stars but it isn't likely and our current physics says that it is impossible. So either we find a way to bend space-time or we do something else.

It is cool, but it doesn't matter in the real world. Although there is more potential to astronomy and astrophysics than other areas of research (like the effects of cocaine on the sex habits of Japanese quail), it is just cool; looking at the stars isn't affecting life on Earth for most people. It doesn't change anything in our everyday life. Sometimes I get in a place where I just don't care about things that don't change the way the world operates. Of course, if they discover that because stars can be more massive, x y and z, and boom, we have a theory on how to travel great distances really quickly, then I want to hear about it.
Right now, though, they are just saying how cool it is. And it is cool, but it doesn't serve a purpose right now. I like having knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but in the world of science, knowledge should serve a purpose.

Lotan said:

Also, 2 million years life for a star is kind of short, isn't it?

extremely short. Consider that it is actually 165,000+ years older than we see it as it is now.

canada4duke said:

Just to give blackharted a break, I'll take this one.

Kinda like that space between your ears...what purpose does it serve? It is cool (how all those neurons can fire but nothing intelligent ever comes out), but kind of pointless.

/kidding

Was that supposed to be a joke about my intelligence?

This post has been edited by Mr.Flibble: 23 July 2010 - 10:09 AM

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#9

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jul 23 2010, 10:06 AM, said:

Does it benefit anyone here besides making them money? I hate to take the utilitarian perspective here, but even if there are other inhabited planets, we are alone in the universe. It would be cool to travel through the stars but it isn't likely and our current physics says that it is impossible. So either we find a way to bend space-time or we do something else.

It is cool, but it doesn't matter in the real world. Although there is more potential to astronomy and astrophysics than other areas of research (like the effects of cocaine on the sex habits of Japanese quail), it is just cool; looking at the stars isn't affecting life on Earth for most people. It doesn't change anything in our everyday life. Sometimes I get in a place where I just don't care about things that don't change the way the world operates. Of course, if they discover that because stars can be more massive, x y and z, and boom, we have a theory on how to travel great distances really quickly, then I want to hear about it.
Right now, though, they are just saying how cool it is. And it is cool, but it doesn't serve a purpose right now. I like having knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but in the world of science, knowledge should serve a purpose.


extremely short. Consider that it is actually 165,000+ years older than we see it as it is now.


Was that supposed to be a joke about my intelligence?

Of course it was! and a damn funny one at that :)
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#10

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jul 23 2010, 02:06 PM, said:

Was that supposed to be a joke about my intelligence?

Was it too subtle for you? I guess I could have make it more obvious.
Would flashing bold 48pt letters help?
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User is offline   Zaxtor 

#11

The more massive stars are, the hotter, brighter and faster they burn out their hydrogen.

This star is around 1 to 1.5 mils yrs old and shedded over 55 solar masses, and went down to 265 mass.

Lifespan is based on size and mass.

red Dwarf stars lasts upto 10+ trillions of years.

Our sun 10 billions.

Giants. around 1 billion (depend on mass)

supergiants (depending on mass) lasts 8-20 mils.

Hypergiants (depending on mass) lasts 2-10 mils

Stars that are soo massive cant hold themselves together, they are ripping themselves apart by overwhelming its gravity with the huge amount of pressure.

Many hypergiants are still in their star nursery when they are about to pop.
Some supermassive stars will turn themselves into wolf-rayet stars,
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User is offline   Kathy 

#12

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jul 23 2010, 10:06 PM, said:

Right now, though, they are just saying how cool it is. And it is cool, but it doesn't serve a purpose right now. I like having knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but in the world of science, knowledge should serve a purpose.


Also, in the world of science(especially in astrophysics) people are enthusiastic. Even if their work/hobby doesn't really change the way we live. They are scientiests. It's about discoveries("wow, cool!") first, and purpose("where can we use it?") later.

And bear in mind that all this "cool stuff" have its purpose. It's like putting man in space. It's cool. And the more cool stuff out there more people are gonna be interested. Thus, we'll have more astrophysicists. Which in turn could lead to some important discoveries.

And it is never that simple with "knowledge should serve a purpose".
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#13

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jul 23 2010, 02:06 PM, said:

knowledge should serve a purpose.


Knowledge of birth control has existed for quite some time, but apparently two people forgot its purpose.

Ok I'm done now, no more wise cracks in this thread 4 me

This post has been edited by canada4duke: 23 July 2010 - 10:58 AM

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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

  • I have the power!

#14

canada4duke, you are only mildly amusing and you miss the sarcasm in my comments...see, your joke isn't funny, it is stupid.


@Lotan:
I agree that it is cool and that can get people interested..but only if they are a little interested in it to begin with. You wouldn't have been able to talk me into taking the program I took in college unless I had already taken Latin and found it enjoyable. I wouldn't be studying what I study unless I enjoyed it and I thought it was cool, but I found it interesting before it became my passion.
I'm interested in astronomy and I enjoy thinking about space travel, but I realize that it is kind of an exercise in futility...but fun idle aspiration. The universe is just so fucking huge...and I'm frustrated by real life shit right now anyway. Defeatism is a defensive strategy. :)
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User is offline   Kathy 

#15

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jul 23 2010, 11:07 PM, said:

@Lotan:
I agree that it is cool and that can get people interested..but only if they are a little interested in it to begin with. You wouldn't have been able to talk me into taking the program I took in college unless I had already taken Latin and found it enjoyable. I wouldn't be studying what I study unless I enjoyed it and I thought it was cool, but I found it interesting before it became my passion.
I'm interested in astronomy and I enjoy thinking about space travel, but I realize that it is kind of an exercise in futility...but fun idle aspiration. The universe is just so fucking huge...and I'm frustrated by real life shit right now anyway. Defeatism is a defensive strategy. :)


I was mostly saying about young generation. If outer space get them interested from the early age then they might have that in mind when thinking about college and stuff.
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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

  • I have the power!

#16

I imagine that good sci-fi shows/movies do a better job than most scientific discoveries when it comes to getting people interested in things like space travel. At least in the beginning anyway.

Also, the United States Armed Forces has a game developer that has produced America's Army 3 and Moon Base Alpha. Those are also creative ways of getting people involved.

This post has been edited by Mr.Flibble: 23 July 2010 - 01:50 PM

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User is offline   Kathy 

#17

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jul 24 2010, 01:31 AM, said:

I imagine that good sci-fi shows/movies do a better job than most scientific discoveries when it comes to getting people interested in things like space travel. At least in the beginning anyway.


That depends. Putting man on Moon was way cooler and more interesting than sci-fi shows/movies. In terms of getting people interested in space.

Quote

Also, the United States Armed Forces has a game developer that has produced America's Army 3 and Moon Base Alpha. Those are also creative ways of getting people involved.


Thanks for the tip. Gonna try Moon Base Alpha.
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User is online   Sangman 

#18

So Flibble you think it is meaningless to study phenomena going on in space that can prove a threat to human life (and the Earth as a whole)? Because, that seems like a pretty important deal to me.

I'll bet you hate sports competitions as well, because, hey, what's the point? It's just cool to watch and it makes money to some people. Shit, fuck games and movies, they're also just cool to watch but we could live without it. etc
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User is offline   Kathy 

#19

Life is pointless.
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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

  • I have the power!

#20

View PostSangman, on Jul 23 2010, 06:51 PM, said:

I'll bet you hate sports competitions as well, because, hey, what's the point? It's just cool to watch and it makes money to some people. Shit, fuck games and movies, they're also just cool to watch but we could live without it. etc

You can live without them and they are just cool things. I enjoy participating in them because I find them fun. However, I wouldn't invest myself into them more than a few hours for the sake of enjoyment. There is more to life than the World Cup or Duke Nukem. I don't let things like that define me or consume my life. There are people in America who literally live and die by college football or major league baseball or whatever and it drives me nuts because they don't realize that no one on those teams that they practically worship gives two shits about them other than the money they spend on the games.


Astronomical phenomena, for the most part, are millions of years away from affecting Earth. I'm not planning on being around when a supernova or blackhole comes around to Earth, so why should I be anything more than mildly fascinated by them? By the time the shit hits the fan on Earth (as far as astronomical events are concerned) the human race would most likely have either wiped itself out or found a way to move on.

Life is short, you should enjoy it; but you shouldn't let the things you own or do consume you.
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User is offline   Kathy 

#21

Man... That sounds like a snobbish bullshit lecture. "Don't let things like that define me", "shouldn't let things you do consume you". I hate when people do that.
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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

  • I have the power!

#22

At least I'm not saying shit like I will die if DNF never comes out...
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User is online   Sangman 

#23

Flibble dude what you're saying just makes no sense.
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User is offline   Kathy 

#24

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jul 24 2010, 07:11 AM, said:

At least I'm not saying shit like I will die if DNF never comes out...


But you will...
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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

  • I have the power!

#25

View PostSangman, on Jul 24 2010, 05:26 AM, said:

Flibble dude what you're saying just makes no sense.

What doesn't make sense? There is more to life that passing moments of happiness found in games, movies, sporting events, etc. They serve their purpose, their purpose is to entertain. I can live without these things, I regularly take vacations or "retreats" from stuff and I tend to be happier because of it.

There is more to the universe than our little pathetic planet, unfortunately, none of us will ever leave it.

View PostLotan, on Jul 24 2010, 05:39 AM, said:

But you will...

hahaha...life goes on. Besides, I started playing Dragon Age Origins...I'm good for a year or so probably as far as gaming goes.
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User is offline   Kathy 

#26

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jul 24 2010, 08:38 PM, said:

What doesn't make sense? There is more to life that passing moments of happiness found in games, movies, sporting events, etc. They serve their purpose, their purpose is to entertain. I can live without these things, I regularly take vacations or "retreats" from stuff and I tend to be happier because of it.


You can live without everything except food and water. But you don't do this.

If art, sports or whatever don't have a big meaning in your life then good for you, but don't judge people if those things are important to them.

Quote

hahaha...life goes on. Besides, I started playing Dragon Age Origins...I'm good for a year or so probably as far as gaming goes.


You didn't understand. You WILL die.
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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

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#27

Being important and being the purpose of are two different things.
Athletes only compete for a fraction of their life. Even the most enduring athletes retire years before they die.

My main beef is with people who don't play sports but make it out as if their life depends on their team. Sports fans who worship their favorite team and live and die by that team are frustrating. Read Ernest Becker (The Denial of Death) and then you may understand. I, of course, read this with my own religious biases and did some mental loops to make it fit with my beliefs, but I really like some of the stuff that he said about death and how we deny our own mortality.


I did misunderstand your comment...yes, I will die...but not as a result of DNF not coming out.
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User is offline   Kathy 

#28

The thing is, there may be no purpose. But that doesn't mean that games or movies can't be a pretty important thing in life for some. They don't just entertain.

P.S. Are you going to play Dragon Age for a year???
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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

  • I have the power!

#29

I don't play for more than a few hours a day even when I don't have school. I start classes soon and that will take up pretty much my whole day. I'm also unemployed right now but won't be once I move to school. I don't expect to have time to play after August 15 or so.
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User is offline   Kathy 

#30

And what you would be doing? I mean, would you be able to do some other hobbies and stuff?
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