Posted on 10/02/2011 11:54:46 AM PDT by Nachum
Galaxy Arp 220, located 250 million light-years from Earth, is home to seven different supernova explosions all going on at the same time. We've never seen so many stars exploding simultaneously in the same galaxy.
A team of astronomers at Chalmers and Onsala Space Observatory found that all seven supernovas went off in the last sixty years (allowing for the 250 million years for the light to reach Earth, of course). In cosmic terms, that's pretty much no time at all, as European Southern Observatory astronomer Rodrigo Parra explains:
"In Arp 220, we see far more supernovae than in our galaxy. We estimate that a star explodes in Arp 220 once every quarter [century]. In the Milky Way, there is only one supernova per century."
The astronomers believe it's proof that Arp 220 is one of the most efficient galaxies in the universe when it comes to making stars...and, ultimately, blowing them up. There's so many stars that have formed in that galaxy that there's always plenty of potential supernovas, even allowing for the fact that exactly when each star explodes in its own lifetime can vary by a whole lot more than sixty years. Team member John Conway adds:
(Excerpt) Read more at io9.com ...
VOGON CAPTAIN:
[On Speakers] People of Earth your attention please. This is Prostectic Vogon Jeltz of the Galactic Hyperspace Planet Council. As you no doubt will be aware, the plans for the development of the outlying regions of the western spiral arm of the galaxy require the building of a hyperspace express route through your star system and, regrettably, your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition. The process will take slightly less than two of your Earth minutes thank you very much.MANKIND:
[Yells of protest]VOGON CAPTAIN:
Theres no point in acting all surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years so youve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaints and its far too late to start making a fuss about it now.MANKIND:
[Louder yells of protest]VOGON CAPTAIN:
What do you mean youve never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh for heaven sake mankind its only four light years away you know! Im sorry but if you cant be bothered to take an interest in local affairs thats your own regard. Energise the demolition beams! God I dont know apathetic bloody planet, Ive no sympathy at all
-PJ
Bush’s fault.
The black dwarfs were most heavily impacted.
Generically, see many SF Pulp Magazine covers from 40s and 50s, where BEMs were generally reaching for an incredibly pulchritudinous but scantily clad human female. Given that the mean audience of these magazines were mid-adolescent males tending towards what later generations would call nerd-dom, a good marketing strategy.
Ah yes, the good old days when men were men and sheep were ...
ROFL. Hadn’t seen this one.
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