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This is one of the biggest stars in the Universe. Scientists say it looks like it's about to explode (www.skyatnightmagazine.com)

submitted 3 days ago by Delta_V@lemmy.world to c/space@mander.xyz

3 comments fedilink hide all child comments

...Research published in the journal Nature Astronomy shows how WOH G64, a giant binary star system in the Large Magellanic Cloud, has recently undergone a striking transformation...

...researchers say they've examined more than 30 years of brightness measurements and found that the star, long classified as a cold, red supergiant, has become markedly hotter – by over 1,000°C – and now appears yellow rather than red...

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[–] Arrandee@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So, in 163 millennia, will the shockwave from this explosion reach Sol? Is this an existential threat for the distant future? I should hope by then whatever dominant species is on earth will have figured out how to hedge their bets and spread to multiple worlds.

[–] Delta_V@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

This author claims the minimum safe distance from a supernova is about 160 light years.

WOH G64 is 160,000 light years away, so we're probably fine.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

163,000 light years from Earth.

This explosion is ancient history.