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End in Fire: The Supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Book by Murdin, Paul
261 pages, Hardcover
First published March 30, 1990
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October 3, 2009
This was one of those bargain-shelf treasures you find now and then. It is a more or less chronological account of the discovery and study of the first naked eye supernova in 383 years.
What I particularly remember from the book is the passage of what someone orbiting such a star would see. In short: nothing... First, the only planets to have survived the star's earlier Red Giant stage would have to be at Neptune's orbit or beyond. Secondly, the neutrino flux from the colapsing core is a couple of hours ahead of the surface breakout of the extream ultra-violet flash. In those hours, the neutrino flux would be so dense that it would cause a beta-decay radiation dose in the magnitude of 10,000 rads. Human beings receiving such a dose are "incompacitated immediately and die within a week." pg 234.
What I particularly remember from the book is the passage of what someone orbiting such a star would see. In short: nothing... First, the only planets to have survived the star's earlier Red Giant stage would have to be at Neptune's orbit or beyond. Secondly, the neutrino flux from the colapsing core is a couple of hours ahead of the surface breakout of the extream ultra-violet flash. In those hours, the neutrino flux would be so dense that it would cause a beta-decay radiation dose in the magnitude of 10,000 rads. Human beings receiving such a dose are "incompacitated immediately and die within a week." pg 234.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review