back to article Boffin the boffin and his boffinry pals in double dwarf super-prang alert

A boffin called Boffin and other scientists at the European Southern Observatory say they have spotted an astronomical first: two doomed white dwarf stars that will likely spark a supernova when they collide. The puny pair, in the planetary nebula* Henize 2-428, will crash into each other in about 700 million years, we're told …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Fingers crossed that he makes a major discovery...

    ...so that we can have the Boffin Science Prize, the Boffin Space Telescope etc.

  2. Russell Hancock

    how did they resist

    A coauthor called Dr Boffin and not one Joke, not one....

    I feel strangely disappointed in the el reg team...

    1. Vulch

      Re: how did they resist

      S'OK, they refered to it as an astrological first to make up for it...

    2. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      Re: how did they resist

      Apart from the headline, of course.

      C.

      1. Russell Hancock

        Re: how did they resist

        The headline is good but still... Such restraint is not something I expect in articles here... That's half the fun. (the other half being the comments :) )

        1. frank ly

          Re: how did they resist

          "... William Herschel, the man behind Uranus"

          Resistance is futile.

  3. Johnny Canuck

    700 million years!

    Thank god, I thought you said 700 years for a minute there.

    1. LaeMing

      Re: 700 million years!

      Needn't worry. Plenty of time to prep the popcorn.

      1. Tom 7

        Re: 700 million years!

        Popcorn? Planetary kernels to the cognoscenti!

  4. Mark 85

    "It's an extremely enigmatic system," said team leader Miguel Santander-García. "It will have important repercussions for the study of supernovae Type Ia,"

    Well, yes it will. But get back to us in 700 million years and let us know how it went. Hmm.. given the distance from us, make that 700 million + 4000 years. I can sleep better knowing that this isn't a problem for awhile.

  5. Chris Miller

    We could just refer to them

    as Quasi-Planetary Nebulae. Then everyone would be happy :)

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: We could just refer to them

      But...do we know how big it is compared to other planetary nebulae? Maybe it's only a Dwarf Quasi-Planetary Nebula?

  6. Denarius
    Coat

    the ultimate

    in nominative determinism ? Perhaps he should be a physicist ? Mines the one with Rogets in the pocket

  7. Uncle Ron

    Gutteral throat sound...

    (Butthead noise...) He said, "...the man behind your anus."

    1. Martin Budden Silver badge

      Re: Gutteral throat sound...

      Professor Hubert Farnsworth: I'm sorry, Fry, but astronomers renamed Uranus in 2620 to end that stupid joke once and for all.

      Fry: Oh. What's it called now?

      Professor Hubert Farnsworth: Urrectum. Here, let me locate it for you.

  8. Bob Dole (tm)

    Planetary Nebulae

    We'll..

    I suppose cock ups like that are to be expected when you trust someone behind Uranus. The main thing is to make sure they don't accidentally probe too far.

  9. dsuden

    Boffin schmoffin

    What is ths unending fascination the Register has with the term, "boffin?" I just did a search of the site and it pulled up 899 pages containing that word. If this publication is going to to insist on being cutesy all the time, at least they could have the decency to try to broaden its repertoire.

    1. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      Re: Boffin schmoffin

      Boffin is a standard term of endearment, reserved for the highest of scientists. Otherwise, you're just an egghead or brainiac.

      C.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Boffin schmoffin

        "Boffin is a standard term of endearment,..."

        Except when it's somebody's name. In this case I believe Her Maj should give the man a knighthood, for the simple and obvious reason that "Sir Henri Boffin" has such a fine ring to it.

    2. Gordon 10

      Re: Boffin schmoffin

      Down voted for facing to realise boffin is one of those rare words that's both hilarious and a sign of respect in spite of seeing it one million times.

      Also down voted for searching and failing to notice it's polar opposite - Trick Cyclist.

    3. John H Woods Silver badge

      Re: Boffin schmoffin

      dsuden: "What is this unending fascination the Register has with the term, "boffin?"

      It is a recurring in joke shared with the regular readership in a similar style to those which appear in Private Eye

  10. Hero Protagonist

    > "planetary nebula" is a stupid name for something that has nothing to do with planets but it's traditional.

    Calling Pluto a planet was traditional too but they managed to get that changed.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
        Holmes

        Re: Calling Pluto a planet was traditional too

        Percival Lowell and Clive Tombaugh.

        Seriously citation needed. I can't imagine people in 1930 being as keen on backronyms as people are today.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. Ugotta B. Kiddingme

        Re: Calling Pluto a planet was traditional too

        um... no. Pluto was named for the Roman god of death.

        Citation 1

        Citation 2

        Citation 3

        Although, I can see how your mistake was made:

        excerpt from citation 3

        'In 1930, after Lowell's death, American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh observed Pluto. By tradition, the discovering astronomer of a new space object gets naming rights. But it was an 11-year-old British girl's idea to name the planet Pluto. Venetia Burney told her grandfather that the name fit the new planet because it stayed hidden for so long, and the Roman god Pluto could disappear at will. Venetia's grandfather wrote to Tombaugh and offered the suggestion, and Tombaugh chose it, happy that the name also honors Percival Lowell — the first two letters of "Pluto" are Lowell's initials.'

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Calling Pluto a planet was traditional too

          So basically you are saying my mistake was to say that Pluto was chosen in honour of Lowell and Tombaugh, whereas your citation 3 - which differs from your citation 2 - says that Tombaugh chose it "happy that the name also honors Percival Lowell".

          I can only conclude that your beef with me is that I spell "honor" the British way.

          1. Ugotta B. Kiddingme

            Re: @ Arnaut the less

            Arnaut, I have no beef with you whatsoever. I was merely providing information to counter what I perceived to be an incorrect statement. Offense was neither intended nor taken.

            And I do agree with the assertion in your OP title. Calling Pluto a planet WAS indeed traditional. I, too, dislike the apparent double standard.

  11. Crisp

    Very Large Telescope

    Who names these things?

    1. Sir Sham Cad

      Re: Who names these things?

      Boffins.

      Possibly Boffin's boffins.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Very Large Telescope

      Leonard of Quirm.

    3. Michael Dunn

      Re: Very Large Telescope

      Who names these things?

      Often wondered that; some quite thoughtless!

      ALMA - Atacama Large Millimetre Array; What is a large millimetre, and what would an array of them be like?

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