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xkcd #2878: Supernova (imgs.xkcd.com)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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They're a little cagey about exactly where the crossover point lies relative to the likelihood of devastating effects on the planet.

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[-] [email protected] 58 points 2 years ago

Wikipedia (Near-Earth Supernova) says that a 25 ly away supernova would wipe out half the ozone layer so that's probably the lower bound for what we want

[-] [email protected] 20 points 2 years ago

Geez, how many stars do we have that close to us?

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)
[-] [email protected] 22 points 2 years ago

I like this one... Because I understood it!!!! Plus it's funny.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago

When I don't understand them, I'll sometimes check out explainxkcd.com .

[-] [email protected] 15 points 2 years ago

Pretty sure the curve should turn up on the right side at some point.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago

Nah, happiness should asymptotically approach 0 happiness as distance increases, due to decreased brightness. Tho, I guess there could be a discontinuity at the crossover point of where we can no longer observe it and the happiness we can extract from understanding that there are those so far away we can never see them?

[-] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago

There's something to be said for very early supernovae. I'm sure they'd all be giddy for something beyond 13 billion light-years (or whatever that works out to in red shift).

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

If we somehow discovered a supernova (or anything, really) beyond the observable universe, I believe the astronomers would be very very happy.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

At some distance, we can no longer see the stars or even the galaxy. A supernova will allow us to see in really distant past, maybe at the first generation with some really good lensing.

Think ereandel but older

[-] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago
[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Astronomer on a planet just a little too close: "This is a cool way to die"

this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2024
632 points (99.1% liked)

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