Destroyer of worlds: Astronomers overlaid 11 time lapse images of the rotating star system WR 104 to reveal a 30 billion-kilometre-long tail that billows out in a spiral around it.
Credit: University of Sydney
Sterilising effect
Though the risk may be remote, there is evidence that gamma ray bursts have swept over the planet at various points in Earth's history with a devastating effect on life.
A 2005 study showed that a gamma-ray burst originating within 6,500 light-years of Earth could be enough to strip away the ozone layer and cause a mass extinction. Researchers led by Adrian Melott at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, U.S., suggest that such an event may have been responsible for a mass extinction 443 million years ago, in the late Ordovician period, which wiped out 60 per cent of life and cooled the planet.
Further research would be required to determine if we are exactly in line with the axis of the system – but even if we are, we probably still have hundreds of thousands of years to come up with a solution, said Tuthill.
with the University of Sydney
Relative motion of our system and deathstar will save us
If we've got 100's of thousands of years before this thing blows, isn't it likely that differences in relative motion of our system and the "deathstar" will take us out of the line of fire?
Maybe
Maybe, maybe not--maybe our sun's motion parallels this binary star's motion, so that we might be in its sights even longer. It might even fine-tune the pointing of the "barrel of the gun" in our direction. Given enough time, our solar system will be out of the blast path, but it would be nice if these or some other astronomers were to calculate how long it might take for the beneficial scenario to take place.
Rifle or shotgun?
It could make a huge differenmce how much this burst spreads with distance.
If it spreads more, a hit is more likely, but it would be less damaging. Though "less damaging" could still be at the bounce-the-rubble level of damage.
Watergun
I think Hillary Clinton should send a firemen out there to extinguish the star.
The Ancients Knew
Instead of "looking down a rifle barrel", a more accurate description would be "looking down the shaft of an arrow". All of the ancient cultures of the earth had identical zodiacs with constellations and star names that have uniform meanings across all languages. E.W. Bullinger's book "The Witness of the Stars" is a good read for anyone who, like me, finds it strangely co-incidental that the source of this damaging shot of gamma rays will eventually come out of Sagittarius, "The Archer". In the constellation Capricorn there is also a star named "Sagittus" that the ancients termed "the arrow sent forth", which also symbolically brings Saggitarius to mind. People mock both the study of the bible and of "astrology" as irrational, superstitious purstuits. If you look at the evidence objectively, it is impossible to avoid the fact that all the ancient zodiacs and astrological records are based on a common source. The prophetic themes of the bible parallel the concepts contained in the ancient records. After the revelation was put in writing, people began to forget the truth of the original revelation that was associated with the constellations and "astrology" was perverted to the self-serving form of prognosticating that it is today. Originally it foretold something far more grand. People have done the same thing with the words of the bible, but the truth will make itself manifest. All of creation has had, and will have, trouble, pain and sorrow, but the Redeemer will come and we will all eventually find that it has been worth it.
Revelashunz
Ceiling Cat noes wat teh starz holdz 4 U...
Ceiling Cat Is God
Bewarez
The Ancients Knew
I'd like to get your source saying that all of the zodiacs, and constellatons, and star names were held and viewed as identical throughout the ancient world.
As I understand it, based upon the sciences and historical texts I've read, they were not identical at all.
But I could be wrong. I would definitely accept that.
There was the destruction of the Library of Alexandria to consider. Per Carl Sagan in "Cosmos" this was a deliberate act. The information in this library could have yielded substance to or refuted your claim outright about these similarities, but it's gone now and we'll never truly know what exactly the Ancients knew.
But, please don't use the Bible in this equation. Out of all the ancient tomes, it is perhaps the most edited, most politically-oriented, and vilest piece of work out of all of them. It is not a viable source for truth. A magazine of lies at worse, a source for interesting metaphor at best.
Close, but no cigar
That is correct, Revelation was based on astrological observations of the ancient peoples. But, they also converted planets and stars, comets and meteors, as well as earthquakes, volcanoes, lightning and thunder into "Gods" , and you seem to have missed that cogent point with your imaginary "Redeemer" comment.
There is no "God", except the one inside of us all.
"The Bible" is a compilation of more ancient observations of astrology, lifted sometimes word for word, from more ancient mythical archetypes. Nothing original or factual in it, as archeology has shown regarding the lack of any proof of any of it's myths, which is to be expected of any myths.
Om
"There is no 'God', except the one inside of us all."
"Progress" appears a journey through religious beliefs. The new chant supersedes the old. It is a circular route. There is nothing new under the sun.