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Shal

Shal

Los Angeles, CA
October 2002

FEB 25, 2006 04:20 PM

NASA scientists have recorded a strange explosion of gamma-ray-like energy from the constellation Aries, just 440 light years away.

The explosion has the trappings of a gamma-ray burst, the most distant and powerful type of explosion known. Yet this explosion, detected on February 18, was about 25 times closer and 100 times longer than the typical gamma-ray burst. And it possesses characteristics never seen before.

"This is totally new and unexpected," said Neil Gehrels, Swift principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The burst of gamma rays lasted for nearly 2,000 seconds; most bursts last a few milliseconds to tens of seconds. The explosion was surprisingly dim, however, suggesting that scientists might be viewing the event slightly off-axis. Yet this is just one explanation on the table. The standard theory for gamma-ray bursts is that the high-energy light is beamed in our direction.



While scientists believe that the previously-unseen type of explosion is the beginnings of a supernova, I have it on good authority that the burst was caused by an unfortunate accident involving the test run of an experimental warp-drive-enabled Intergalactic Class Cruiser out of Alpha Centauri whose guidance system mistakenly charted a course directly through a star.

marketmyangst

marketmyangst

New York, NY
February 2006

FEB 25, 2006 05:06 PM

maybe this was more like an intergalactic gunshot heard late at night in a bad area of compton.

2,000 seconds of gamma ray activity... i suppose that translates into a half hour of this shit. holy photon cocks.

steve626

steve626

Tarentum, PA
February 2005

FEB 25, 2006 05:16 PM

actually. This is pretty close. A gamma ray burst could sterilize everything on the planet if it were close enough.
Although, that would take care of the neo-con problem...

SirPsychoSexy

SirPsychoSexy

Ridgewood, NJ
January 2004

FEB 25, 2006 05:23 PM

It was probably just another universe being formed inside our own to displace the current one we occupy. Since the expansion of that universe will certainly occur at the speed of light, we most likely only have days left to live until this portion of the universe is displaced by a massive energy cloud.
No biggie.

Yo_La_Jimbo

Yo_La_Jimbo

Miami, FL
December 2004

FEB 25, 2006 05:25 PM

We're expanding too, so maybe we have more like a week?

leopold

leopold

Oakland, CA
January 2005

FEB 25, 2006 05:28 PM

steve626 said:
actually. This is pretty close. A gamma ray burst could sterilize everything on the planet if it were close enough.
Although, that would take care of the neo-con problem...




woo hoo the end life on earth without all the mess of a nuclear war....Nature is so neat.

marketmyangst

marketmyangst

New York, NY
February 2006

FEB 25, 2006 05:46 PM

the chances of all life ending NOW because of some galactic shit happening.... hmmm....

PaulNikon

PaulNikon

Melbourne, FL
February 2003

FEB 25, 2006 05:48 PM

I knew the "Jump Drive" would be dangerous.

jason

jason

USA
August 2002

FEB 25, 2006 05:49 PM

favorite headline ever.

alpha_hazard

alpha_hazard

Fort Collins, CO
April 2004

FEB 25, 2006 05:57 PM

SirPsychoSexy said:
It was probably just another universe being formed inside our own to displace the current one we occupy. Since the expansion of that universe will certainly occur at the speed of light, we most likely only have days left to live until this portion of the universe is displaced by a massive energy cloud.
No biggie.



Days? If it started 440 light years away...wouldn't it take 440 years?

Ghost_dance

Ghost_dance

Cincinnati, OH
March 2004

FEB 25, 2006 06:09 PM

jason said:
favorite headline ever.



right along with Mom "m Gay....And it's your fault.

Vadennoi

Vadennoi

San Jose, CA
December 2005

FEB 25, 2006 06:09 PM

Naw. It happened 440 years ago. About 1566.

People got fired for that math error. Or is it sub-atomized?

NikTc

NikTc

San Diego, CA
December 2005

FEB 25, 2006 06:13 PM

That would suck i enjoy living and porn and beer and vodka and getting laid and shooting at people. i cant do that if the planet is steril

AceTracer

acetracer

Hollywood, FL
January 2004

FEB 25, 2006 06:14 PM

We've been warned for years...




...Uranus is full of deadly gases.

vuc2373

vuc2373

I'm lost
August 2004

FEB 25, 2006 06:37 PM

Shalome said:
While scientists believe that the previously-unseen type of explosion is the beginnings of a supernova, I have it on good authority that the burst was caused by the unfortunate premier of House of Wax on a planet in the Alpha Centauri galaxy.

BurningKrome

BurningKrome

San Jose, CA
April 2005

FEB 25, 2006 07:07 PM

marketmyangst said:
the chances of all life ending NOW because of some galactic shit happening.... hmmm....


Actually, if you estimate the odds of a catastrophic meteor strike on the earth based on observations of large meteor strikes on nearby bodies (such as the moon) over the last million years...

You have a significantly greater chance of dying from a meteor hitting the earth than you do of dying in an air disaster.

Sleep well...

umanam

umanam

San Francisco, CA
October 2005

FEB 25, 2006 07:10 PM

the best thing about outer space is that everything outward happens in it

(anyway ... where's jodie foster when you need her?)

[Edited on Feb 25, 2006 by Norbu]

Frenchy

Frenchy

San Francisco, CA
November 2004

FEB 25, 2006 07:22 PM

The creation of The Incredible HULK as begun wink

I_Poop_Too_Much

I_Poop_Too_Much

I'm lost
February 2004

FEB 25, 2006 07:28 PM

Gamma Ray? Please god, PLEASE, I'll start believing in you if I can be doused in enough of it to become the Hulk...

steve626

steve626

Tarentum, PA
February 2005

FEB 25, 2006 07:34 PM

The Earth's atmosphere blocks out most of the gamma rays that come our way. We have to actually put up satellites just to observe that stuff.
But a nullneutron bomb would have the same effect. They were designed to kill all of the life in an area without causing too much structural damage. That way the invading army could move right in after a few weeks.


Looks like it was a supernova that caused this and is 440 million light years away from us. So that energy has been traveling for 440 million years and the source isn't even in our galaxy, let alone our neighborhood.

oh yes, the odds of everyone you knowing dying from something hitting the earth are something like 1 in a 100. But the odds of something hitting are a much greater.

what a gloomy fucking post, sorry about that smile

(I don't know why it put nullneutorn when it should just have been neutron)

[Edited on Feb 25, 2006 10:40PM]

[Edited on Feb 25, 2006 10:41PM]

Motionboy

Motionboy

Vancouver, BC
January 2004

FEB 25, 2006 08:24 PM

fuck!

there goes another opportunity to gain super powers frown

PointBlank

PointBlank

New York, NY
November 2004

FEB 25, 2006 08:26 PM

I've been telling my friends all day that I felt a great disturbance in the force...it was as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. They blamed it on the three bean burritos I ate.

thestral

thestral

Manassas, VA
August 2005

FEB 25, 2006 08:33 PM

Fuck! There goes Alderan....

Cassiel

Cassiel

Aurora, CO
September 2004

FEB 25, 2006 10:33 PM

the Old Ones have returned...

dempsey

dempsey

Seattle, WA
June 2003

FEB 25, 2006 10:40 PM

interesting, especially as i was just watching something on gamma ray bursts and hypernovae just the other day...

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