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Friday, April 25, 2008

S&T Watch-2: WR104, an unstable binary spiral star system

Astronomer Peter Tuthill warned that the explosion of WR104, an unstable binary spiral star system 8,000 light years away in the Sagittarius constellation, threatens to destroy the planet. A supernova within the system will fire gamma rays along the spiral's polar axis, which, Tuthill discovered, points directly at Earth. "I used to appreciate this spiral just for its beautiful form," he said, "but now I can't help a twinge of feeling that it is uncannily like looking down a rifle barrel."

Courtesy: Christian Lorentzen, Harper’s Weekly Review, March 11, 2008
Also read Wikipedia article on "BINARY STARS":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_stars
Grateful thanks to Mr. Christian Lorentzen, Harper’s Weekly and Wikipedia.

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