Runaway Star Found Hurtling Through Space

Runaway Star Found Hurtling Through Space

www.cbsnews.com

This is the sort of story that tickles the delight of the amateur astronomer in all of us. Late Monday afternoon, NASA/JPL sent around a rare picture taken by its Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer of a star whose mass is about 20 times that of our sun.

Astronomers say that the star, Zeta Ophiuchi, was given the boot by its former companion, another massive star, sending it hurtling at a clip of 54,000 miles per hour through space dust.

(visit the link for the full news article)

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/abe9ed9ebd68.jpg[/atsimg]

This isn't your typical meteor! The earth stands in dreaded fear of asteroids which are 100's of yards/meters wide. This thing is an actual STAR. A Star which is 20 times the size of the sun. While it doesn't appear to be any danger to earth, imagine if you will what this thing would do to any solar systems it does come across. As the article states, this thing is a science fiction story in real life.



www.cbsnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

What a ride that would be! I think the slingshot approach is still our best bet to travel to "nearby" celestial bodies.

Flag for the subject, but more sources will be really appreciated.

I havent looked at your CBS article but heres another source. same story.

www.sciencedaily.com...

20X the size of our sun, just try to imagine how big that is in comparison to you. I can't even begin to imagine that, and there are stars out there that are probably thousands of times bigger than that star. Astronomy is a real mind ****, in a good way.

I think a cool way to go out would be to watch that star slowly approach our solar system, then it becomes visible by the naked eye, then we all sit outside and watch it slam into out sun, and get to see one of the biggest explosions imaginable. That would be a great last memory

Originally posted by withopeneyes

Runaway Star Found Hurtling Through Space

www.cbsnews.com

Astronomers say that the star, Zeta Ophiuchi, was given the boot by its former companion, another massive star, sending it hurtling at a clip of 54,000 miles per hour through space dust.

54,000 mph sounds unimpressive for a star, that's only a hair faster than the speed our own sun is hurtling relative to neighboring stars, about 20 km/s, and our sun is actually hurtling through space at 370 km/s relative to the cosmic background.

Probably what interests them is the bow shock effect they see in the space dust. But when they say

NASA likes the effect to what happens "when a boat speeds through water, pushing a wave in front of it."

, is that a typo and they mean "NASA likens"?

en.wikipedia.org... (See orbital characteristics-velocity for our own star, the sun)

Originally posted by withopeneyes




[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/abe9ed9ebd68.jpg[/atsimg]

This isn't your typical meteor! The earth stands in dreaded fear of asteroids which are 100's of yards/meters wide. This thing is an actual STAR. A Star which is 20 times the size of the sun. While it doesn't appear to be any danger to earth, imagine if you will what this thing would do to any solar systems it does come across. As the article states, this thing is a science fiction story in real life.



www.cbsnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Ha,ha,ha it looks like a giant flying turtle,exactly where is it going?

Here is the latest information I've found.

Zeta Ophiuchi Update From NASA

I'll update whenever I find anything.

Far out! S&F for fantastic find. This is one I'd really like see up close.
Thanks

reply to post by withopeneyes


S&F good find!

reply to post by TupacShakur

That would be a great last memory

For how many seconds?

S & F OP

Who knew stars could go rogue? Wonder if this is the only one, or if there are more like that? Great post. S&F

reply to post by withopeneyes


S&F, Good Find. I couldn't help but notice that this thing has some striking similarities to the photos taken of an object over Russia which are described in this thread. Check it out; www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by Flatfish
reply to post by withopeneyes

 

S&F, Good Find. I couldn't help but notice that this thing has some striking similarities to the photos taken of an object over Russia which are described in this thread. Check it out;

There couldn't possibly be any connection to that phenomena

At 20x the Sun's mass, even if that sun was at the door of our solar system beyond the farthest planet, it would distrupt the whole system by over-powering the Sun's gravity and would pull everything, the planets, and our Sun into it. Now that would be something to see, but not be a part of it however!

A S$F to you for your find, now if they would only say in what direction this "Sun", star, is going, i would be interesting to see. or it position relative to us.

Originally posted by bekod
A S$F to you for your find, now if they would only say in what direction this "Sun", star, is going, i would be interesting to see. or it position relative to us.

I agree with you on that. I'm looking for it. As soon as I find out that info I'll post. If anyone else finds it, let us know!

reply to post by withopeneyes


Interesting some of the most important data is not listed.. Direction?

Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
reply to post by withopeneyes

 

Interesting some of the most important data is not listed.. Direction?

edit on 1/25/11 by Ophiuchus 13 because: (no reason given)

All I've found thus far is that it's approximately 458 light years away. I found that information here.

Zeta Ophiuchi Specifications

Being so far away the actual star itself isn't going to do anything to us anytime soon, but I am interested in what they call the 'Bow Shock'. Could the Bow Shock be something to worry about?

I'm looking for the direction it's headed, but haven't found anything yet.

reply to post by withopeneyes


Additional Zeta Ophiuchi Information

Here is some more information on this star, as well as it's position and orientation, however nothing about its direction, concerning "bow shock" at this distance of 460 LY away I don't think we have anything to worry about from that at least yet, if it is even coming in our direction. Even then the odds of it making it here without being broke up on other celestial/interstellar bodies and "winds" seems remote. Nonetheless this is an amazing picture and I am glad I checked it out, as I am a huge fan of all things celestial.

I am at work so I don't have the time right at the moment to do a mph to LY conversion but the time/distance is astronomical