Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse!
Saying its name three times
won’t have the same effect
as a certain bio-exorcist,
but it’s still a sight to behold.
At about 950 times bigger than our Sun,
Betelgeuse is one of the biggest stars
in our Universe.
But that comes with a price.
Just like us, stars have a life expectancy,
and Betelgeuse is no different.
It’s a ticking time bomb that's ready to go,
but we're not sure when.
So, what if today was the day
Betelgeuse went out with a bang?
Betelgeuse is one of the closest stars to Earth,
at a distance of only 650 light-years away.
This makes Betelgeuse a fan-favorite
with professional
and amateur astronomers alike.
Betelgeuse is a red giant star,
which means that when it reaches
the end of its life,
it will explode in a spectacular supernova,
possibly even becoming a black hole
in the process.
Let's imagine that today is the day
that Betelgeuse calls it quits,
and puts on one heck of a cosmic light show.
But, before getting good seats
for Betelgeuse’s grand finale,
what sort of damage could an exploding star
do to Earth?
Well, think of stars as being like
nuclear power plants.
If they explode,
you’re looking at a disaster
of cosmic proportions.
Anything within 50 light-years
of the exploding Betelgeuse
will suffer massive shockwaves,
and be inundated with dust and radiation.
Will you survive the celestial eruption?
Actually, yeah.
I know, I know,
it's weird, right?
This is WHAT IF,
so you’re expecting everyone to die.
But get this,
everyone actually makes it
out of this episode OK!
The only side effect we’re going to feel
from Betelgeuse exploding
is sadness.
It’s going to be a bummer
when we say goodbye to the brightest star
in the Orion constellation.
Down here on Earth,
we’re going to see a very bright light in the sky.
It could even be visible during the day,
and bright enough to rival
a full moon at night.
Don’t worry, it will be hard for you to miss,
as this light show is expected to go on
for quite some time.
This is because Betelgeuse's light travels
650 light-years from its place in the Universe
to ours.
The event will be breathtaking to behold,
but Betelgeuse will be wrapping up
its farewell tour.
And that’s it.
It’s been a pleasure, Betelgeuse.
We’re about 10 times too far away
to feel any repercussions from the explosion.
If we weren’t,
well, that would be another story.
OK, OK, fine.
We know what you want.
This is WHAT IF, after all.
Bring on the destruction!
If we were too close to Betelgeuse
when it explodes,
our atmosphere and cells would be fried
by the radiation and gamma waves.
When you’re exposed to
high doses of radiation,
it can burn and scar your skin,
cause genetic mutations,
and can ultimately be lethal.
Gamma radiation, in particular,
is incredibly powerful.
It's pure energy,
even more intense than light itself.
If Betelgeuse were closer to Earth,
it would be a literal and figurative "lights out"
for all of us.
Humans,
animals,
plants, you name it.
We would all be toasted.
An explosion that big,
from a star that immense,
would destroy life on Earth in seconds
once the radiation hits us,
even though the process of going supernova
takes years.
And even if we did have interplanetary ships
to evacuate in time,
Betelgeuse is so huge that
there wouldn’t be a planet in our Solar System
that's safe from the explosion.
There! Are you happy?
Everyone dies.
Thankfully, we’re much too far from Betelgeuse
to have any direct,
observable
or harmful effects from the explosion.
Betelgeuse is going to explode,
but it will likely take another 100,000 years.
When it does go,
astronomers are going to have to rethink
the structure of Orion.
It may not leave a massive hole in the Universe,
but it will leave a hole in our hearts.
But we’re not out of the cosmic woods yet.
What if another devastating cosmic event
decided to make an appearance?
What if a quasar entered our solar system?