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In 2022, there will be a spectacular sky show. Two stars will merge into one, pushing out excess gas into an explosion known as a red nova. At magnitude 2, it will be as bright as Polaris in the sky, and just behind Sirius and Vega in brightness. The collision in the constellation of Cygnus will be visible for up to six months.
That’s pretty impressive. What’s more impressive: we’ve never been able to predict a nova before. But Lawrence Molnar, a professor of astronomy and physics at Calvin College, was able to find a pair of oddly behaving stars giving an indication of what might happen.
So how does Molnar know what will happen? After all, as he puts it, it’s “a very specific prediction that can be tested, and a big explosion.” He and his team have an example to look at: V1309 Scorpii. (astrobites.org...) First observed in 2008, astronomers were able to watch the light curve as the event unfolded. First, there were a few “booms” in the sky. Then, a spectacular light show unfolded. Using precovery data, astronomers were able to trace back the evolution from 2001 on, giving a big picture of the decade of progression of the event.
“We don’t know if it’s right or wrong, but it’s the first time we can make a prediction,” Molnar says. At 2nd magnitude, it’ll be easy if it see if the prediction was correct.
“You won’t need a telescope in 2022 to tell me if I was wrong or I was right,” he says.
originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: weirdguy
Nope they're 1800 light years away.
The merger has already happened 1795 years ago.
originally posted by: ColaTesla
Interesting, do the 2 stars have enough mass to form a black hole?
A series of stellar collisions in a dense cluster over a short period of time can lead to an intermediate-mass black hole via "runaway stellar collisions".
When two low-mass stars in a binary system merge this creates an excretion disk from which new planets can form
originally posted by: ColaTesla
Interesting, do the 2 stars have enough mass to form a black hole?
originally posted by: jhn7537
a reply to: TerryDon79
Wouldn't it be that the collision already happened, but the light is now becoming visible to us in 2022??
Then collapses upon itself. Has little to do with mass.
originally posted by: FTURE
a reply to: TerryDon79
You cant wait for 2022 can you!!!
I'm super excited about seeing this.
originally posted by: TerryDon79
originally posted by: FTURE
a reply to: TerryDon79
You cant wait for 2022 can you!!!
What gave it away? Was it this part of my OP?
I'm super excited about seeing this.
originally posted by: FTURE
originally posted by: TerryDon79
originally posted by: FTURE
a reply to: TerryDon79
You cant wait for 2022 can you!!!
What gave it away? Was it this part of my OP?
I'm super excited about seeing this.
Does one have ones eye on a shinny new (n.w.o) orange Lamborghini for 2022?
You shold get the number plate; VOID 666
originally posted by: TerryDon79
originally posted by: FTURE
originally posted by: TerryDon79
originally posted by: FTURE
a reply to: TerryDon79
You cant wait for 2022 can you!!!
What gave it away? Was it this part of my OP?
I'm super excited about seeing this.
Does one have ones eye on a shinny new (n.w.o) orange Lamborghini for 2022?
You shold get the number plate; VOID 666
I'm not sure what a car and a number plate has to do with 2 stars colliding.
Maybe try and stay on topic and type something relevant?