MetaChat - Tatooine's twin suns:

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21 January 2011

Tatooine's twin suns: coming to a planet near you just as soon as Betelgeuse explodes.

post by: BoringPostcards at: 11:17 | 7 comments

Since this star is 1300 light years from us, this may have already happened.

posted by danf 21 January | 12:21

Wow, I can't wait to see that in the next year, or next million years, whichever it is!

posted by Miko 21 January | 12:40

The second biggest star in the universe is losing mass...

Surely they mean the galaxy, yes?

posted by Atom Eyes 21 January | 15:36

There's a mea culpa at the bottom of the article about that, atom eyes. :)

posted by BoringPostcards 21 January | 15:47

I hope it's visible in our lifetimes. That would be so freakin' cool.

posted by deborah 21 January | 17:31

Surely they mean the galaxy, yes?

In fact they meant, second biggest in the constellation of Orion. Not quite so impressive huh?

Still it's one of brightest starts in the sky.

The headline for the follow-up article made me laugh:

Betelgeuse 'not likely to explode in 2012'

Perhaps it can be part of series on things that are not remotely likely to happen in 2012.

posted by philipy 21 January | 19:44

Correction... second brightest in Orion, not biggest... Rigel is brighter, but Betelgeuse is bigger.

posted by philipy 21 January | 19:52

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