Eta Carinae

[MeteorWayne]

IIRC (and it is just a recollection) it is because the first generation stars formed only from H and He. Once other elements get in the mix, reactions start sooner (due to increased gavity and thermal effects?) and blow away the rest of the star forming cloud.<br /><br />I'll see if I can find a reference. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I think this is relevant, but still need to do more research.<br /><br />"Presenter: Christopher F. McKee, Professor of Physics and of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley <br /> Series: Physics and Astronomy Colloquium <br /> Abstract: The first stars formed out of pristine gas with initial conditions determined by the Big Bang. The gravitational collapse of the gas that forms the first stars can be described analytically by a theory developed for contemporary star formation. Rotation of the infalling gas has a major effect on the protostar, making it smaller and hotter than in the absence of rotation. The mass of the first stars is set by feedback processes, including photodissociation of H2 by ultraviolet radiation, radiation pressure associated with Lyman alpha photons, the development of an HII region, and photoevaporation of the protostellar accretion disk. The initial mass function of the first stars is determined by the distribution of angular momentum and of entropy in the first condensations to form. <br /> Web Site: http:/ / astron.berkeley.edu/ ~cmckee/ <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

That's still a weak recollection from what I think I've read. SO don't take it to the bank. More research to come.<br /><br />I'll check more tomorrow, but Ann is dragging me to my 8th Rod Stewart concert tonight....not that I mind too much. He's always put on a great show for decades, or is it centuries <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> ? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

Thanks for the link to the image of SN 2006GY!<br /><br />It's always a little humbling to me that a single star outshines it host galaxy's center by so much. I have a Hubble Image of an unidentified barred spiral galaxy as my current wallpaper.<br /><br />I would guess that had SN 2006GY been a resident of it, the Hubble image would be that of nothing but a white glow that hid most or all of the detail of its host galaxy. <br /><br />WHich brings me to a question that will show my ignorance...<br /><br />How much of the deep sky would be lost to viewing (relative to our vantage point) if 3 or 4 E Cars in our galaxy blew up at the same time? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I' say a lot. Just based on the moon (newspaper reading material at magnitude ~ -12) reduces my stellar limiting magnitude from ~ +5.6 to ~ +4. That means the faintest fuzzies would be much harder from the ground. Of course for a space telecope, as long as you don't point at it, shouldn't make much difference. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

Then I guess E Car would be bittersweet for astronomers. Especially those in the Southern Hemisphere.<br /><br />In fact, some really evil and clever aliens could detonate the handful of hypergiants we know of within a couple thousand parsecs and visible in both Hemispheres in an act of really dirty trickery. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />But again as is wont in my twisted little brain pan, I wonder if there would be any advantage to take in such illumination looking out into space with our backs to E Car when it blows.<br /><br />Like using the flash bar on your camera to take pictures in the dark. And not just at visible frequencies? Sorry. My layman is showing through. Sometimes, I just can't help myself. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[derekmcd]

Though the reflection of light might be quite faint for more distant objects, but I don't see why it couldn't help. Might help illuminate dust and gas clouds and give better ideas of densities and make-up. Of course, the light from Eta Car will not reach those more distant objects for quite some time. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#0000ff" class="Apple-style-span">"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing." - Homer Simpson</span></div> </div>

 

[dragon04]

<font color="yellow">Though the reflection of light might be quite faint for more distant objects, but I don't see why it couldn't help. Might help illuminate dust and gas clouds and give better ideas of densities and make-up. Of course, the light from Eta Car will not reach those more distant objects for quite some time.</font><br /><br />Very true. But were E Car (and excluding the pesky gamma radiation issue) a couple hundred parsecs distant as opposed to a couple thousand, we might get some interesting visuals beyond that range.<br /><br />I'm thinking on terms of emission nebulae. I don't have the training or math to know how far out from E Car interstellar gas would be excited, or for how long. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[dragon04]

I was just thinking that a couple of hypernovas in the neighborhood might lead to some insight regarding the pesky "dark matter" issue.<br /><br />Let's say that a "local" hypernova "lights up" previously undetected stellar gas out to a significant distance. If we "see" enough of them, we can begin to extrapolate the overall amount of stuff we don't see to better reconcile just how and why our current theories and observations are difficult to explain.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>