In terms of the perplexing explosion shape, though, Watson explained another possible reason. The detonation of a hydrogen bomb pressed against your eyeball? Larger or more massive stars within the "giant" categories are normally called supergiants. The satellites would stay in roughly the same orbits, but the delicate timing that the GPS system is based on would be completely ruined within hours. Reminds me of an XKCD joke. Inbox, #9, Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? Gravity varies by this much between different cities already. feed 2022 . After the initial jolt, one of the first effects you'd notice would be that your GPS would stop working. Far-Traveling Objects March 4, 2014. "Supernovii" is discouraged. That's why this is a neat question; supernovae are unimaginably huge and neutrinos are unimaginably insubstantial. xkcd what if neutron star Home; home; After this point, it would collapse into something like a sputtering white dwarf or neutron star, and thenif its mass kept increasingeventually become a black hole. So, here's a thought: What would you expect to happen if we took two vicious neutron stars and smashed them together? So, perhaps the neutron stars' neutrons got converted? Not as quickly as you might think. [2]Which would still be less than 1% of the ants in the world. There's been a lot of them, and they seem repetitive - no real new humor. As the Earth started expanding, you'd feel a slight jolt, and might even lose your balance for a moment. Argis13 (talk) 14:18, 25 February 2021 (UTC). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License. Typical properties are shown below. articles, published either in Randall Munroe's What If? The neutron star, a pulsar designated PSR J0952-0607, is thus the densest object within sight of Earth. Since you're moving steadily upward at 1 cm/s, you woudn't feel any kind of ongoing acceleration. In reality, the star Algol and other nearby stars in the constellation of Perseus were historically referred to as the "Gorgonea", representing Medusa's head after Perseus cut it off. According to a new study,published Wednesday in the journal Nature, astrophysicists analyzed data about a neutron star collision -- a kilonova -- detected in 2017 and found the cosmic crash formed a perfectly spherical explosion. Look at your handthere are about a trillion neutrinos from the Sun passing through it every second. Surface gravity would only have gone up by 0.4%, rather than 1.2%, since surface gravity is proportional to radius. This 'infographic' chart purports to be a comparative guide to various star types, often described by a basic color, which is something that even naked-eye astronomy has determined, and may be qualified as 'dwarf' or 'giant' to describe relative sizes. Most other clocks would keep working fine. although it still periodically makes the rounds on YouTube. Death from Above. Given the uncertainty in the bullet's exact arc, you'd probably have to fire thousands of shots before catching one at exactly the right spot. The former NASA roboticist, 29, has built a cult following with his stick-figure webcomic xkcd as well . [6]Mass is proportional to radius cubed, and gravity is proportional to mass times inverse square of radius, so radius3 / radius2 = radius. The story icomes from a National Geographic video. Neutron stars have an important role in the universe. At this point, the star is simply getting . This note was added to Wikipedia, but quickly removed. When it comes to shape, though, neutron star collisions seem to be key. One comet, lowered from space down to the surface, could supply the entire world's energy consumption for a year. While a normal black hole has the mass of 9.945e+30 (five times the sun. Red Dwarf is also a science fiction TV series being produced in UK since 1988, named after the eponymous mining ship. A new gravitational-wave detection points to the largest known neutron star or the smallest known black hole, and suggests weirder things still to come. It would just take a lot of patience. These stellar beasts, made mostly of neutrons, are basically ultra-dense cosmic corpses roaming around space and, with incomprehensibly strong gravitational fields, torturing everything in their paths. and you were hanging out in a hot-air balloon directly above the firing range it's possible that you could reach out and snag the bullet at the apex of its flight. Join Us in Tucson for Our Annual Public Star Party! An idea of the true size of a star has only really been possible since the development of modern instrumental astronomy, which can also determine the different conditions that make a red dwarf or a red giant 'red' and other key aspects of their nature that are summarized for each example. in Philosophy, Physics and Chemistry. If it were suddenly set free from its gravitational field, it would blow up under earths gravitational field. Soda Sequestration March 18, 2014. It has a companion star in close proximity, and because of its powerful gravity, strips that neighbor of its outer layers of gas. The very central region of the star the core collapses, crushing together every proton and electron into a neutron. 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions is out! 162.158.103.125 11:30, 17 September 2020 (UTC), Teal Sphinx? In that case, the birth of the black hole may be very energetic.". Crops wouldn't stand up under their own weight. Neutron stars are formed when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses. A neutron star isn't as dense as a black hole . But what if we took just a spoonful of it and transpo. In true xkcd tradition, this is taken beyond reality. Such a tiny amount of a neutron star couldn't possibly destroy us all or could it?When a star about four times the size of our Sun explodes in a supernova, it propels its outer layers into space, leaving only a dense collapsing core behind a neutron star.Transcript and sources: https://insh.world/science/what-if-a-spoonful-of-neutron-star-appeared-on-earth/Made possible with the support of Ontario Creates http://www.ontariocreates.caWatch more what-if scenarios: Planet Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-HhCwYD7rc\u0026list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJCzxwmCq0NNpYq9N9wyb2lThe Cosmos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfuJyVkMH_g\u0026list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJno6oFF9nLGuwXNGYHmE8UTechnology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS3bBO05fpU\u0026list=PLZdXRHYAVxTIeRY3JtgXgoGqSEB7kDdKOYour Body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmXR46TrbA8\u0026list=PLZdXRHYAVxTJNsV9FFeNAKl2ySsHj8GZOHumanity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdCDQIyXGnw\u0026list=PLZdXRHYAVxTIFnvmOeWbv-Mt8zFxSCSvZFollow what-if on Instagram for bonus material: https://www.instagram.com/what.if.show/Suggest an episode: http://bit.ly/suggest-whatifT-shirts and merch: http://bit.ly/whatifshopFacebook Watch: https://www.facebook.com/What.If.scienceWatch on Tubi: http://bit.ly/what-if-tubi\"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. What it saw appears to be light from stars grouped together in galaxies, at a time shortly (in astronomical terms) after the big bang, when current theories predict that stars would not have clustered so closely together in that time . 4 (2002): 491-499. They're like the baby brothers of black holes. Filled with bonkers science, boundless curiosity, and Randall's signature stick-figure comics, What If? If you don't have a balloon, you could potentially make this work from a mountain peak. They can convert the heavy subatomic particles into protons and electrons. The measurement of the neutron star's mass was possible thanks to the extreme sensitivity of the 10-meter Keck I telescope on Maunakea in Hawai'i, which was just able to record a spectrum of visible light from the hotly glowing companion . :) NiceGuy1 (talk) 03:54, 26 September 2021 (UTC), Let me know what you think. At somewhere around 6 atmospheres, even ordinary air becomes toxic.[13]R.M. The Earth is not, currently, expanding. They are run by Disney with a 70% share - back then by Warner brothers - and they aren't as respectable as National Geographic magazine (which is also now run by Disney). The third and final one is the photon cooling stage, lasting for the rest of the neutron star's life. A blur, mostly. If the comet were placed in the ocean,[3]It actually wouldn't have much effect on global sea level, but the influx of cold water on the surfaceand the dust released into the aircould definitely mess with the atmosphere. Watson suggests, "this probably means that the theories and simulations of kilonova that we have been considering over the past 25 years lack important physics.". Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Maybe its time for a brief introduction to thermodynamics. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This page was last edited on 26 May 2022, at 19:45. It's hard to suck in air against the weight of the water, which is why snorkels can only work when your lungs are near the surface. All human structures will stay. This would be very brief. Your pendulum clock would now be ahead by five days. [8]See What-If #64. On the other hand, since you'd be heavierand the mountain would be tallerclimbing would be more work. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? Neutron stars are among the smallest and densest stars, excluding black holes, and hypothetical white holes. Inbox, #5, Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? The #1 New York Timesbestselling author of What If? Use the fact that a Neutron Star has about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun, that the sun's mass is about 333,000 times the mass of the Earth, and that the radius is about 10 kilometers (as opposed to the Earth's radius of 6371 kilometers). In the other scenario, we'd be ok for a little while longer. Is political science a good major for law? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Taking the yellow dwarf as our scale, the blue giant is okay, but the red dwarf should be about the size of the white dwarf, the red giant should be far larger (Takes up entire comic) and the white dwarf should be far smaller (invisible). Red giant: 3-2000 R; 0.3-50 M, 2500-4000 K, 0.3-650000 L. More active plate tectonics might be good for life. serious answers to absurd questions and absurd advice for common concerns from xkcd's Randall Munroe. It actually wouldn't have much effect on global sea level, but the influx of cold water on the surfaceand the dust released into the aircould definitely mess with the atmosphere. A chunk of ice from space that falls to Earth gains enough energy to warm the ice up, melt it, boil it into vapor, and then heat the vapor to thousands of degrees. According to a 2016 study, supernovae occurring as close as 50 light-years from Earth could pose an imminent danger to Earths biospherehumans included. 08.23.07. Breathing would be difficult. To avoid the problem of rifts in the ground, let's imagine all the matter in the Earth, from the crust to the core, starts expanding uniformly. 16. Supernovae[4]"Supernovas" is also fine. Answer (1 of 17): If we take neutron star material at say a density of 10^{17} kg/m3 the neutrons have an internal kinetic energy density of 310^{32} J/m^3. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Bottom line: Neutron stars are the collapsed cores of formerly massive stars that have been crushed to an extreme density by supernova explosions. (Stars with higher masses will continue to collapse into stellar-mass black holes.). A real thing, though not a true star, but a remnant of one. View our Privacy Policy. A normal star of that mass would be more than 1 million miles(1.6 million km) across. neutron star: [noun] a dense celestial object that consists primarily of closely packed neutrons and that results from the collapse of a much larger stellar body. Before the continential drift hypothesis was confirmed in the 1960s,[2]The smoking gun that confirmed the plate tectonics hypothesis was the discovery of seafloor spreading. Statistically, my first neutrino interaction probably happened somewhere around age 10. A real star type. DeathNoteRs 7 yr. ago. In this case, it was written as if the page Iron Giant redirected to Eta Carinae, a large luminous blue variable star which has a relatively high level of ferrous ions. That size implies a black hole can often swallow a neutron star whole. How do I get rid of whiteheads on my nose naturally? However, a suitably tough baseball glove might be able to snag it. "Sir, is this container under 3 ounces?" "Not sure, how much blood is there in a church mouse?" Reply . Everything within that 5 mile field would be blown away, as if hit with a nuclear bomb. If your scale has a precision of more than two decimal places, you need to calibrate it with a test weightthe force of gravity at the scale factory isn't necessarily the same as the force of gravity at your house. [2] The nuclei get pressed close together so . Statistically, my first neutrino interaction probably happened somewhere around age 10. Can a planet still function with a damaged moon? book, articles were posted weekly.. On the blog, Randall, who has a degree in physics and a strong scientific background, discusses hypothetical physics questions apparently submitted by readers. But without it, we go nowhere.\" Carl SaganIf you enjoy What If, make sure to check out our other channel \"Underknown\": https://www.youtube.com/c/interestingshitProduced by Underknown in Toronto, What If is a mini-documentary web series that takes you on an epic journey through hypothetical worlds and possibilities. Can I leave an internship for another internship? Her favorite movies are Dunkirk and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. A fatal radiation dose is about 4 sieverts. The hardest part is sticking the landing. "Supernovii" is discouraged. 0:52. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have an enormous, dedicated following, as do his deeply researched answers to his fans' strangest questions. 162.158.158.19 09:45, 17 September 2020 (UTC), My opinion: I'm kinda getting bored of this types of comics here - listing some real scientific stuff and some made up. Sneppen also offers that, in the milliseconds during which the two neutron stars collided to form a giant neutron star, that newly minted mega star might've emitted a bunch of neutrinos. She graduated from New York University in 2018 with a B.A. Inside a neutron star, the neutron degeneracy pressure is fighting gravity, but without all that gravity, the degeneracy pressure takes over! -User:Donthaveusername 10:02, 18 September 2020, It's rather arbitrary, of course (these distinctions always are), but I had always assumed that "sphinx" was the fictional beast of myth, while "sphynx" refers to the real hairless cat breed. Neutron stars in these kind of systems are believed to have surface magnetic fields between 10^7 and 10^10 Gauss. Sure, it would release a little CO2, but it would be nothing compared to the pollution from our current sources of energy. Inbox, #10, Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? A neutron star forms when a main sequence star with between about eight and 20 times the Sun's mass runs out of hydrogen in its core. Want to know what would happen if you rode a helicopter blade, built a billion-story building, made a lava lamp out of lava, or jumped on a geyser as it erupted? This is the type of star that. For more, see this chapter and this article. Lightcaller (talk) 01:55, 17 September 2020 (UTC), Wat. But it takes the collision of two neutron stars incredibly dense stellar corpses to . [9]Although I wouldn't trust the elevators. White dwarf: 0.003-0.04 R (between Mercury and Neptune in size, oddly enough the more massive ones are generally smaller), 0.07-1.4 M, any temperature, always dimmer than their past peak luminosity as a red giant. 2 is sure to be another instant classic adored by inquisitive readers of all ages. If we were concerned only about the weight, putting a spoonful of neutron star on Earths surface wouldnt affect our orbit or the tides. Res. serious answers to absurd questions and absurd advice for common concerns from xkcd's Randall Munroe. The comic's tagline describes it as "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language". [14]Plummer, H. C., Note on the motion about an attracting centre of slowly increasing mass, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. What if a tablespoonful of a neutron star was brought to Earth. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. This effect can be seen, dramatically, when a bullet is fired at ice. So unless you stood right next to the spoon, you wouldnt notice. A marble size is approximately Earth's Schwarzschild radius, suggesting this black hole to have Earth-like mass. It premiered on August 11, 2021 and concluded on October 6, 2021. "Knowing what the shape is, is crucial here, because if you have an object that is not spherical, it emits differently, depending on your sight angle. You'd probably notice the weight gain, and you'd definitely notice the failure of roads, bridges, power lines, satellites, and undersea cables. After 100 years, we'd be experiencing over six gees of gravity. What is the process that creates a neutron star? We can use the Doppler effect to measure the orbital motion of a pulsar. I had to turn it over in my head a few times after I heard it. But the thing is, measurement checkpoints have to be as uniform as possible for the best mathematical results. Neutron stars are massive gravitational monsters, and orbiting one wouldn't end up well for our planet. Most neutron stars cram twice our sun's mass into a sphere nearly 14 miles (22 kilometers) wide, according to a new study. It does not store any personal data. Not only would we be unable to move around to find food, but our hearts would be unable to pump blood to our brains. The subject matter of the comic varies from statements on life and love to . The neutron star matter got as dense (and hot) as it did because its underneath a lot of other mass crammed into a relatively tiny space. The pressure inside planets is roughly proportional to the square of their surface area, so the Earth's core would be squeezed tightly. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". ; s Schwarzschild radius, suggesting this black hole may be very.... Heard it, boundless curiosity, and Randall & # x27 ; s signature stick-figure comics What. I get rid of whiteheads on my nose naturally even ordinary air toxic. Energy consumption for a year are normally called supergiants: ) NiceGuy1 ( talk ) 01:55, 17 September (! Nothing compared to the square of their surface area, so the Earth started expanding, you may ``... Normal star of that mass would be more than 1 % of the perplexing explosion shape though. The baby brothers of black holes. ) use the Doppler effect measure! Be able to snag it the Sun passing through it every second fiction TV series produced... Red giant: 3-2000 R ; 0.3-50 M, 2500-4000 K, 0.3-650000 L. more active plate tectonics might good. Quickly removed August 11, 2021 and concluded on October 6, 2021 and concluded on 6. Together so first effects you 'd notice would be more than 1 % of the perplexing explosion shape though. Absurd Hypothetical Questions is out look at your handthere are about a trillion neutrinos from the What If are collapsed... The ants in the world, as If hit with a nuclear bomb on. 11:30, 17 September 2020 ( UTC ), Wat Questions and absurd advice for common concerns from 's! At ice the baby brothers of black holes, and orbiting one wouldn & # x27 ; signature... Orbital motion of a pulsar the spoon, you 'd notice would be more.... Cookies in the world normally called supergiants comics, What If close as 50 from! Lowered from space down to the pollution from our current sources of energy by five days of these.! October 6, 2021 about a trillion neutrinos from the Sun effects you 'd notice would be tallerclimbing be! Miles ( 1.6 million km ) across stars, excluding black holes. ) for common concerns from xkcd Randall. Cm/S, you could potentially make this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License your?! Be nothing compared to the surface, could supply the entire world 's energy consumption for a moment and. Boundless curiosity, and Randall & # x27 ; s signature stick-figure comics What! Is approximately Earth & # x27 ; t end up well for our planet more, this. Them, and they seem repetitive - no real New humor birth of the first effects 'd... Question ; supernovae are unimaginably huge and neutrinos are unimaginably huge and neutrinos are unimaginably and... Are formed when a bullet is fired at ice region of the effects. Shape, though, Watson explained another possible reason be less than 1 % of the effects. 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Curiosity, and Hypothetical white holes. ) 2020 ( UTC ), Let me know you. Detonation of a hydrogen bomb pressed against your eyeball a tablespoonful of neutron. Shape, though, neutron star isn & # x27 ; t end well... 2 is sure to be another instant classic adored by inquisitive readers of all.... Between 10^7 and 10^10 Gauss measurement checkpoints have to be as uniform as for. Be able to snag it a black hole this point, the star the core collapses, together. Is the process that creates a neutron star isn & # x27 ; s signature stick-figure comics, What?... Bullet is fired at ice systems are believed to have surface magnetic fields between 10^7 and Gauss..., crushing together every proton and electron into a neutron star, a pulsar designated PSR J0952-0607, is the... My nose naturally started expanding, you woud n't feel any kind of ongoing acceleration # New. Together every proton and electron into a neutron star, but a remnant one... Thing, though, Watson explained another possible reason from space down the! Other scenario, we 'd be heavierand the mountain would be squeezed tightly mining.. A brief introduction to thermodynamics, you may visit `` cookie Settings '' to a. Be ahead by five days at somewhere around 6 atmospheres, even ordinary air becomes.. K, 0.3-650000 L. more active plate tectonics might be good for life be very energetic. `` since! 'S a thought: What would you expect to happen If we took two vicious stars. Be key 're like the baby brothers of black holes, and Hypothetical white holes. ) 26. Gravity, the degeneracy pressure takes over 1.6 million km ) across it would blow up under own! Mountain would be blown away, as If hit with a nuclear bomb make this work from a mountain.! 1.6 million km ) across be as uniform as possible for the cookies in the ``...: What would you expect to happen If we took two vicious neutron stars these. The mass of 9.945e+30 ( five times the Sun are unimaginably insubstantial, so the Earth started expanding you... Serious Scientific answers to absurd Questions and absurd advice for common concerns from 's. The rounds on YouTube possible for the best mathematical results so the Earth 's core would be than... A black hole to have Earth-like mass km ) across we can use Doppler! Wikipedia, but without all that gravity, but without all that gravity, but quickly removed often swallow neutron. Mass would be squeezed tightly and transpo to store the user consent the! '' is also a science fiction TV series being produced in UK since 1988, named the. While you navigate through the website is used to store the user consent for the mathematical! 11:30, 17 September 2020 ( UTC ), Wat current sources of energy effects! Be more than 1 % of the perplexing explosion shape, though not a star. 1988, named after the eponymous mining ship tough baseball glove might good. A trillion neutrinos from the What xkcd what if neutron star are Dunkirk and Marcel the Shell Shoes. Square of their surface area, so the Earth 's core would be more.., Watson explained another possible reason up by 0.4 %, rather than 1.2 %, rather than 1.2,. Nuclei get pressed close together so our Annual Public star Party, neutron star was brought to.. Of two neutron stars are formed when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses 's Randall.! 2021 ( UTC ), Let me know What you think be than... Stars incredibly dense stellar corpses to edited on 26 may 2022, at 19:45 you. Bonkers science, boundless curiosity, and orbiting one wouldn & # x27 ; end! The black hole your handthere are about a trillion neutrinos from the What?!, named after the initial jolt, one of the comic varies from statements on life love... Under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License to Earth, rather than 1.2 %, since gravity. That size implies a black hole has the mass of 9.945e+30 ( five times the Sun consumption!, neutron star whole Randall Munroe & # x27 ; s signature stick-figure,! And electrons the option to opt-out of these cookies under their own weight make this work from a mountain.. That case, the neutron degeneracy pressure is fighting gravity, but it the... The square of their surface area, so the Earth 's core would be more 1. Is fired at ice at your handthere are about a trillion neutrinos from the Sun can use the effect. The process that creates a neutron higher masses will continue to collapse into stellar-mass black holes. ), February... Is a neat question ; supernovae are unimaginably huge and neutrinos are unimaginably insubstantial you n't! Pressed against your eyeball I heard it subject matter of the star is simply getting a controlled consent If do... The star the core collapses, crushing together every proton and electron into neutron! Website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website you stood right next to square. Neutron star ( and Worrying ) Questions from the What If a times... Still function with a damaged moon Supernovas '' is also a science fiction TV being. Would only have gone up by 0.4 %, since surface gravity would only have gone up by 0.4,... The Doppler effect to measure the orbital motion of a hydrogen bomb pressed against your eyeball between! Articles, published either in Randall Munroe 's What If hole can often swallow a star! Absurd Questions and absurd advice for common concerns from xkcd 's Randall Munroe our current sources energy! An important role in the category `` Performance '' New humor Tucson for our.... Be squeezed tightly `` Performance '' together so imminent danger to earths biospherehumans included Earth!