back to article Binary star bash-up should add new light to Northern Cross in 2022

The stars of the Northern Cross – one of the most recognisable features in the night sky that has been used as a marker for the seasons for thousands of years – should be getting a bright new addition. binary star KIC 9832227 is a stellar peanut 1,800 light years away lies the stellar system of KIC 9832227, two stars …

  1. Justin S.

    Here's hoping for something funny happening...

    “If we’re right it would mean the science is already done,” he explained. “What’s exciting is what we don’t know.”

    'The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!” (I found it!) but “That’s funny …”'

    — Isaac Asimov (ascribed)

  2. A Non e-mouse Silver badge

    That's weird....

    I was listening to a radio program a few weeks ago, and the guest said that what really gets a scientist excited isn't shouting "Eureka!" as they work something out, but hearing someone say "Hmmm, that's weird". Weird means new things to discover and learn.

  3. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

    Boom tomorrow

    Any civilization in the neighborhood will not be amused then?

    1. Magani
      Mushroom

      Re: Boom tomorrow

      Any civilization in the neighborhood will not be amused then?

      It's all OK. Ford Prefect has amended the HHGGTT entry for KIC 9832227 to 'Mostly Harmless'.

    2. Alister

      Re: Boom tomorrow

      Any civilization in the neighborhood will not be amused then?

      Well they've had 1,800 years to get used to it, I should think they'll be celebrating the anniversary, with fireworks, or something.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Just "visible to the naked eye"?

    That's all?? I would have thought releasing more energy than our sun will in its lifetime from "only" 1800 ly away would be quite a bit brighter than that. I want a supernova visible at high noon in my lifetime please, is that so much to ask? :)

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      Don't think that would be a Good Thing (TM)

      I'd venture that, if you can see a supernova in the noon light, then it's likely to be a GRB pointed right at us and I can assure you, you most definitely don't want to see that.

      1. ridley

        Re: Don't think that would be a Good Thing (TM)

        I thought the last one (Cassiopeia?) Was visible to the naked eye during the day?

        1. Rattus Rattus

          Re: Don't think that would be a Good Thing (TM)

          I believe the supernova that created the Crab Nebula back in 1054 was visible during the day during its time of maximum brightness.

    2. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

      Re: Just "visible to the naked eye"?

      "Visible to the naked arse"

      -> Pull down pants

      -> Get sunburn

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well, thats the weather

    for that day in 2022.

    Cloud, all over the UK. Meanwhile the rest of the world will have clear skies.

    Astronomical phenomenon are the best UK weather predictors ever.

    1. ksb1972

      Re: Well, thats the weather

      I've always wanted to deploy some strategically placed massive atmospheric dehumidifiers to clear up the almost constantly cloudy weather we get here in the UK.

      Obviously they can be turned off every now & again for when we need some rain.

      Mess with the weather? Really can't be any worse than what we're doing to the environment already with all the fossil fuels we've burnt/are burning still.

      1. Evil Auditor Silver badge
        Thumb Up

        Re: Well, thats the weather

        I've always wanted to deploy some strategically placed massive atmospheric dehumidifiers

        Well, we -on the continent- do actually have a strategically placed massive atmospheric dehumidifier. We call it the British Isles.

  6. Chris G

    A new star in the sky

    Well that will provide fodder for all the loonies; The second coming, judgement day, the alien race that had to leave the catastrophe are coming/already here, it's where Nibiru comes from etc etc.

    I am planning on a camel ride to Jerusalem for 2022, might have to move Christmas afterwards though.

    1. Rich 11

      Re: A new star in the sky

      Quite so. My first thought was that this bright star in the sky heralds the coming of the Anti-Trump.

      Nostradamus tells us that she will be born as the daughter of the Russian ambassador to the United States. In her infancy she will be guarded by a coterie of kittens and the Groper-in-Chief will attempt to slay her by withholding vaccines from the multitude of deplorables, whose children will die in their thousands.

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
        Terminator

        Re: A new star in the sky

        Count me in as long as the NEW MESSIAH is not a Liberal Interventionist Multicultural Goodthink Fetish, has Schwarzenegger Spine, imposes a flat tax, trashes PC nasties and BLMers and cleans up leftofascist parliamentarian geezers and political TLAs civil serpents with a shotgun while playing "I can't get no satisfaction" on a boombox, loudly.

        1. Steve the Cynic

          Re: A new star in the sky

          Dude, you derailed my brain. Thanks for that.

        2. Swarthy
          WTF?

          Re: A new star in the sky (DAM)

          I refer you to Alice's comment on The Jabberwock.

  7. Alistair
    Joke

    Look mummy, there's a bright light in the sky

    1) when this happens, ElReg needs to sponsor a WWE style verbal debate between our left wing and right wing commentariat. At night, in the middle of the Sahara, under the open sky.

    (D.A.M. and AMfM at the top of the bill?) (yes, chair throwing should be allowed, but more appropriate all contestants *must* wear a bad blond toupee)

    2) I hope that I'll have some time off in the right window to be sitting somewhere that the (new, hot ticket item) LED street lights have NOT been deployed around here (the glare from ultra bright/bluewhite LED's is an enormous increase in light pollution). I'd like to see that when it happens.

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: Look mummy, there's a bright light in the sky

      "LED street lights have NOT been deployed around here"

      FWIW, if you can get to a windows above the level of the street lights, you will see a much darker sky than those areas still using older sodium lamps. The new lamps have very good directional cast and so sky scatter is markedly reduced.

      From my own experience, I get a much better sky view from the attic window and driving over the hill down into my town, the sky glow over it is way less than the orange glow from the town over the river which is yet to replace their orange sodium poles.

      Of course, that doesn't help with the inevitable UK wide cloud cover whenever there's something really interesting to see!

  8. Diginerd

    ...because SCIENCE!

    EoM!

  9. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    “If we’re right it would mean the science is already done,”

    Whether he's right or not the science is only done when observation confirms the theory - or otherwise.

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Isn't that what he said?

  10. Oengus
    Holmes

    "There's a light"

    Why did this song pop into my head immediately...

    Icon because it reminds me of the narrator...

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