I’d like to talk about Betelgeuse. As far as I’ve heard from astronomers and science communicators, Betelgeuse has at most 10,000 years left, not 100. However, we can’t be sure of the exact timeframe. In other words, it could happen at any moment within these 10,000 years. It might even happen tomorrow. Its dimensions are astounding because if you were to replace the Sun with Betelgeuse, it would engulf most of the planets in our solar system. But precisely this is the reason for its relatively short lifespan. Our Sun has about 4 billion years “left”. I’ve also heard about constellations and “zodiac signs”, meaning the Sun’s position relative to a specific constellation in a given month. Over the 2,000 years since they were invented, the constellations have shifted, so when people say someone is, for example, a “Capricorn”, they should actually be a “Sagittarius” now.
I’d like to talk about Betelgeuse. As far as I’ve heard from astronomers and science communicators, Betelgeuse has at most 10,000 years left, not 100. However, we can’t be sure of the exact timeframe. In other words, it could happen at any moment within these 10,000 years. It might even happen tomorrow. Its dimensions are astounding because if you were to replace the Sun with Betelgeuse, it would engulf most of the planets in our solar system. But precisely this is the reason for its relatively short lifespan. Our Sun has about 4 billion years “left”.
I’ve also heard about constellations and “zodiac signs”, meaning the Sun’s position relative to a specific constellation in a given month. Over the 2,000 years since they were invented, the constellations have shifted, so when people say someone is, for example, a “Capricorn”, they should actually be a “Sagittarius” now.
Man, I’m so crossing my fingers that Betelgeuse kicks the bucket before I do.