The Earth could soon be wiped out by the explosion of a star more than 3,000 light years away, according to American scientists.



The star, called T Pyxidis, is set to self-destruct in an explosion called a supernova with the force of 20 billion billion billion megatons of TNT.

Although the star is thought to be around 3,260 light-years away – a fairly short distance in galactic terms – the blast from the thermonuclear explosion could strip away the Earth's ozone layer, the scientists said.

Astronomers from Villanova University, Philadelphia, in the US, said the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite has shown them that T Pyxidis is really two stars, one called a white dwarf that is sucking in gas and steadily growing. When it reaches a critical mass it will blow itself to pieces.

It will become as bright as all the other stars in the galaxy put together, they said. The Hubble space telescope has photographed the star preparing for its big bang with a series of smaller blasts or "burps", called novas.

These explosions came regularly about every 20 years from 1890 – but stopped after 1967.

So the next blast is nearly 20 years overdue, said scientists Edward M Sion, Patrick Godon and Timothy McClain at the American Astronomical Society in Washington.



Let's hope he's right

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/spac ... osion.html

Overdue!! the Big Bang is upon us?

Let me do a prediction 2012?

Well if it's by supernova we all die I guess that sounds better than an asteroid impact or Nibiru crashing into earth.My guess is it will be somewhat quick if it's the supernova scenario that happens.2012 is getting closer and closer.....and we will soon see if the Mayans were correct.

Well the Mayans maybe are right, but 2012 was not the prediction of the Mayans. It was more like 2239 or something.

But nevertheless it is a slightly disturbing article.

It was the Aztecs or the Mayans that had the prediction for Dec 23 2012

Mayans

After recalculation of the tablets the prediction is 2239. I read an article not long ago on this issue.

So the Mayans predicts the end of us, but the date was not set to be 2012, but 2239!

So we've got some time.

I will try to look up the article.

The supernova explosion for that matter is something else. It will wipe out life all over our solar system and even further away.

Let's hope this will not happen anytime soon.

Quick thinking : it's 3,000 lightyears away ... An explosion blast can't travel at lightspeed, so basically ... no need to worry at all

So the scientists are lying or the media is lying, which one is it?

And also, can you proof your statement an explosion of 20 billion billion billion megatons of TNT can't travel that far (thinking of radiation, flares and stuff)?

k