Tick Tick Boom
May 3rd 2011 05:03
Category: Stars
Star T Pyxidis : Hubble image
Star T Pyxidis is no ordinary star it was thought to be just one singular star instead the star is made up of two binary stars.
The Binary star has a Sun much like ours and smaller white dwarf. The smaller star is in close proximity with T Pyxidis. Every 20 or so years has a “tantrum” and puts on quite a display.
The last outburst occurred in December 1966 the latest outburst was 20 years overdue. T Pyxidis has many outburst caused by the smaller star stripping away material for the larger star. Ordinarily you cannot see T Pyxidis with the naked eye although in 1966 it was just bright enough to be seen without a telescope.
T Pyxidis can be found in the faint constellation Pyxis east of Puppis and Canis Major. At the moment observers in the northern hemisphere can see it located high in the south-southwest after sunset.
The star is around 3,260 light years away form Earth. Images taken with the Hubble telescope show that the star has undergone a series of smaller explosions mini novas.
This may signal that the star is close to destruction and becoming a full supernova. There is no time frame when this will occur it could explode tomorrow or in another hundred years. But when it does explode it will put on bright display.
3,260 light years is just a small distance when you factor in the vast distances between galaxies.
When T Pyxidis does go Supernova the radiation given off by the initial explosion of the star although slight can have have a significant impact on Earth causing damage to our Ozone layer. T Pyxidis in not expected to give off deadly gamma burst radiation (GRB).
We missed the bullet when the Crab Nebula went Supernova at a distance of about 6500 light-years in the year 1054.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
Camera Sense
Hi S.L.
It is truly amazing that we have a connection with the universe around us, after all we are the children of the stars.