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General Discussion => Science & Nature => Topic started by: sam on December 08, 2009, 01:36

Title: Red Giant Brightness Variations Still Mysterious
Post by: sam on December 08, 2009, 01:36
Quote
Like everything else in the Universe, stars get old. As they become older, stars like our own Sun "puff up", becoming red giants for a period before finally settling down into white dwarfs. During this late period of their stellar lives, about 30% of low-mass red giants exhibit a curious variability in their brightness that remains unexplained to this day. A new survey of these types of red giants rules out most of the current explanations put forth, making it necessary to find a new theory for their behavior.

http://www.universetoday.com/2009/12/07/red-giant-brightness-variations-still-mysterious/
Title: Re: Red Giant Brightness Variations Still Mysterious
Post by: Clive on December 08, 2009, 09:44
Speculative but plausible nevertheless.   8-)
Title: Re: Red Giant Brightness Variations Still Mysterious
Post by: Simon on December 08, 2009, 10:19
How old is our sun then?
Title: Re: Red Giant Brightness Variations Still Mysterious
Post by: Clive on December 08, 2009, 10:54
Same age as the Earth Simon.  4.5 billion years. 
Title: Re: Red Giant Brightness Variations Still Mysterious
Post by: Rik on December 08, 2009, 11:06
You mean we don't have an actual date where we could all sing to it? ;D
Title: Re: Red Giant Brightness Variations Still Mysterious
Post by: Simon on December 08, 2009, 11:57
It's pathetic, Rik. The money we spend in these astronomers, and they can't even tell us something as basic as that!  ;D
Title: Re: Red Giant Brightness Variations Still Mysterious
Post by: Rik on December 08, 2009, 12:58
I know, they're as bad as the NHS IT system.
Title: Re: Red Giant Brightness Variations Still Mysterious
Post by: sam on December 08, 2009, 13:49
It's pathetic, Rik. The money we spend in these astronomers, and they can't even tell us something as basic as that!  ;D

yeah but Clive didn't tell you the error bars either...
Title: Re: Red Giant Brightness Variations Still Mysterious
Post by: sam on December 08, 2009, 13:50
I know, they're as bad as the NHS IT system.

baring that in mind, its 6000 years old. Now I feel as informed as the NHS.
Title: Re: Red Giant Brightness Variations Still Mysterious
Post by: Simon on December 08, 2009, 14:09
:pmsl: