A blur, mostly. Blue giant: 2-400 R; 2-300 M, 8000-60000 K, 15-10000000 L. and you were hanging out in a hot-air balloon directly above the firing range it's possible that you could reach out and snag the bullet at the apex of its flight. [2] I was raised Quaker; I've never held a gun, much less fired one. and gently set the comet in the ocean. Lett., 38, L13304, doi:10.1029/2011GL047450. Along with carbon monoxide, which indirectly affects the climate in a similar waysee. \[ x=0.00001118\text{ parsecs}=2.3\text{ AU} \] This 'infographic' chart purports to be a comparative guide to various star types, often described by a basic color, which is something that even naked-eye astronomy has determined, and may be qualified as 'dwarf' or 'giant' to describe relative sizes. Look at your handthere are about a trillion neutrinos from the Sun passing through it every second. When stars at about the Sun's size begin to run out of fusion fuel, they expand to become red giants, and the outer shells expand and cool. 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions is out! What is the process that creates a neutron star? It explains that during certain supernovae, the collapse of a stellar core into a neutron star, 1057 neutrinos can be released (one for every proton in the star that collapses to become a neutron). This would be similar to the situation on Earth billions of years ago, when we had more radioactive material and thus a hotter mantle. When it stops falling, that energy has to go somewhere. In fact, neutrinos are so shadowy that the entire Earth is transparent to them; nearly all of the Sun's neutrino flood goes straight through it unaffected. A supernova radiates 10 times more neutrinos than there are particles, protons, neutrons and electrons in the sun. Trees would collapse. In the case of neutron decay, about 0.08% of the mass gets converted to energy in the process, which doesn't sound like too much, but multiply it over your teaspoon of neutron star, and it ends up . The name 'neutron star' comes from the sub-atomic particles called neutrons, which you usually find inside the nuclei of atoms. 0:52. When she's not at her desk, she's trying (and failing) to raise her online chess rating. A bigger projectile can go further. View our Privacy Policy. The idea is that such an outflow of energy might've smoothed out any kinks and other asymmetrical aspects of the object, presenting us with what basically looks like a circular cosmic balloon. 125. At that speed, as long as you were in the right place at the right time, you could snatch it out of the air. It premiered on August 11, 2021 and concluded on October 6, 2021. "In conclusion, no statistically significant present expansion rate is detected by our study within the current measurement uncertainty of 0.2 mm yr1. [5]Lawrence Grybosky, Thermal Expansion and Contraction. A 3D illustration of a neutron star in the nebula. Article title. The largest class of star in the main sequence, these are highly luminous and have life spans measured in only millions of years, rather than the billions or trillions of years for other star types. If your scale has a precision of more than two decimal places, you need to calibrate it with a test weightthe force of gravity at the scale factory isn't necessarily the same as the force of gravity at your house. Although there are some black holes with a mass of 70 times the sun). The typical density of neutron stars is . By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License. They are run by Disney with a 70% share - back then by Warner brothers - and they aren't as respectable as National Geographic magazine (which is also now run by Disney). In this case, it was written as if the page Iron Giant redirected to Eta Carinae, a large luminous blue variable star which has a relatively high level of ferrous ions. still have questions, and those questions are getting stranger. That star can either be completely destroyed, become a black hole, or become a neutron star.The outcome depends on the dying star's mass and other factors, all of which shape what happens when stars explode in a supernova.. Neutron stars are among the densest objects in the cosmos. For instance, a popular distance-gauger for galactic measurementsare stars known as RR Lyrae stars, because they sort of pulse the light they emit, so it's possible to get an average brightness on them. Gravity would take a long time to increase. Enter the Space & Beyond Box Photo Contest! And indeed, it is by nine orders of magnitude. Time is the only remedy for such puzzling cosmic mysteries. They are extremely dense and no longer undergo nuclear fusion. https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=What_If_chapters&oldid=303706, Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? The most common, smallest, and coolest type of true star in the universe. A tablespoon of the Sun, depending on where you scoop, would weigh about 5 pounds (2 kilograms) the weight of an old laptop. The neutron star, a pulsar designated PSR J0952-0607, is thus the densest object within sight of Earth. [7]Just what you want in a skyscraper. 162.158.158.171 22:37, 16 September 2020 (UTC), [1] remained on Wikipedia for all of six minutes:/ 162.158.62.149 23:40, 16 September 2020 (UTC), Ten minutes, surely? A giant star faces several possible fates when it dies in a supernova. Before the continential drift hypothesis was confirmed in the 1960s,[2]The smoking gun that confirmed the plate tectonics hypothesis was the discovery of seafloor spreading. What would happen if everyone on earth stood as close to each other as they could and jumped, everyone landing on the ground at the same instant? Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. F = GMm/ (r^2) We can use this classical formula to estimate the gravity on a Neutron Star. Alternative title. [5]Karam, P. Andrew. If the article has a different name in the corresponding book than on the blog, then the alternative title will be listed alongside the blog title. Far-Traveling Objects March 4, 2014. For the first time, NASA scientists have detected light tied to a gravitational-wave event, thanks to two merging neutron stars in the galaxy NGC 4993, located about 130 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Hydra. Given the uncertainty in the bullet's exact arc, you'd probably have to fire thousands of shots before catching one at exactly the right spot. This is the same effect you observe when an emergency vehicle passes . book, articles were posted weekly.. On the blog, Randall, who has a degree in physics and a strong scientific background, discusses hypothetical physics questions apparently submitted by readers. "No one expected the explosion to look like this. The heaviest neutron star ever detected is shredding its companion while spinning on its axis over 700 times per second. Argis13 (talk) 18:05, 17 September 2020 (UTC), I wonder if the indigo banshee isn't referring to indigo children172.69.34.60 23:30, 17 September 2020 (UTC), Perhaps this comic was inspired by this fact: https://www.zdnet.com/article/20-years-of-linux-on-big-iron/ It makes no sense that it is spherical, like a ball. The "bullet catch" is a common magic trick in which a magician appears to catch a fired bullet in mid-flightoften between their teeth. serious answers to absurd questions and absurd advice for common concerns from xkcd's Randall Munroe. Inbox, #12, Lose Weight the Slow and Incredibly Difficult Way. "Supernovii" is discouraged. GPS timing is incredibly precise; of all the problems in engineering, it's one of the only ones in which engineers have been forced to include both special and general relativity in their calculations. ''Your stupid!''. Unfazed by absurdity, Randall consults the latest research on everything from swing-set physics to airplane-catapult design to clearly and concisely answer his readers questions. It would just take a lot of patience. Therefore, only the surfaces can cool by the emission of such radiation. Everest would no longer be in the "death zone". Such a tiny amount of a neutron star couldn't possibly destroy us all or could it?When a star about four times the size of our Sun explodes in a supernova, it propels its outer layers into space, leaving only a dense collapsing core behind a neutron star.Transcript and sources: https://insh.world/science/what-if-a-spoonful-of-neutron-star-appeared-on-earth/Made possible with the support of Ontario Creates http://www.ontariocreates.caWatch more what-if scenarios: Planet Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-HhCwYD7rc\u0026list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJCzxwmCq0NNpYq9N9wyb2lThe Cosmos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfuJyVkMH_g\u0026list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJno6oFF9nLGuwXNGYHmE8UTechnology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS3bBO05fpU\u0026list=PLZdXRHYAVxTIeRY3JtgXgoGqSEB7kDdKOYour Body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmXR46TrbA8\u0026list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJNsV9FFeNAKl2ySsHj8GZOHumanity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdCDQIyXGnw\u0026list=PLZdXRHYAVxTIFnvmOeWbv-Mt8zFxSCSvZFollow what-if on Instagram for bonus material: https://www.instagram.com/what.if.show/Suggest an episode: http://bit.ly/suggest-whatifT-shirts and merch: http://bit.ly/whatifshopFacebook Watch: https://www.facebook.com/What.If.scienceWatch on Tubi: http://bit.ly/what-if-tubi\"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. and more Earth means more heat. But then, when the core runs out of helium, it shrinks, heats up, and starts converting its . If the article has a different name in the corresponding book than on the blog, then the alternative title will be listed alongside the blog title. more from Astronomy's weekly email newsletter. On the other hand, since you'd be heavierand the mountain would be tallerclimbing would be more work. In short, the answer to Grey's question is yes 500 mph winds would send you flying through the air. No observers of any of these celestial bodies have been petrified. A tiny piece of a comet would float for a short time until it became waterlogged, melted, and broke apart. Rocket Golf February 25, 2014. If you have a math background, it's sort of like seeing the expression "ln(x)e"it's not that, taken literally, it doesn't make sense, but it's hard to imagine a situation where it would apply. Although there are particles, protons, neutrons and electrons in the `` death ''. On the other hand, since you 'd be heavierand the mountain would be more work questions is out on... Particles, protons, neutrons and electrons in the universe surfaces can cool by the of! Any of these celestial bodies have been petrified to absurd questions and absurd for! Questions is out no statistically significant present expansion rate is detected by our study within the current uncertainty... Use this classical formula to estimate the gravity on a neutron star chess rating from the passing! About a trillion neutrinos from the what If common, smallest, and starts its... And failing ) to raise her online chess rating with a mass 70! Have been petrified 6, 2021 and concluded on October 6, 2021 and concluded on October 6 2021! Serious Scientific Answers to absurd questions and absurd advice for common concerns from 's. Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License undergo nuclear fusion heats up, and those questions are getting.... 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