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Betelgeuse the star

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David Hess:

--- Quote from: RoGeorge on January 24, 2020, 10:36:37 pm ---Maybe Betelgeuse shines normally, but we are witnessing the born of a Type II civilization.
;D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale
--- End quote ---

That would be doubly impressive around a star the size of Betelgeuse.  I think we can discount that possibility because nobody would be dumb enough to use a star so close to the end of its life.  Could that be why we cannot find as many red dwarfs as there should be?

donotdespisethesnake:
Well, I would practice on a nearby star first, instead of our own. You know, just in case something "goes wrong" :)

edy:
They are working on a Dyson Sphere:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere



See this article:

http://midnightinthedesert.com/astronomers-just-found-second-dyson-sphere-star-dimming-brightness/

Gyro:
I know a Dyson sphere is all about maximising energy capture but the thing I've never got is what do you do with the actual people?  :-//

Planetary atmosphere is held on by gravity. The 'floor' of a Dyson Sphere (necessarily) doesn't have enough mass to hold an atmosphere on the inside, the strongest gravitational force is generated by the star itself. Exit atmosphere, the same applies to objects and people!

You could make the sphere double walled with living quarters between (a pretty miserable existence) but again where do you get workable gravity. The Star's gravity wouldn't be enough to hold you comfortably to the inner floor.

You can't spin a sphere... well you can, but not in any way that equalizes centripetal force over the surface - there's going to be an awful lot of unusable uphill, both for atmosphere and ability to walk up it.

Now Larry Niven's Ringworld (or a Dyson ring) I do get. You can spin it at a sensible speed to generate 'gravity' and retan the atmosphere between high rim walls. Of course you still have to worry about maintaining stability etc. but at least you have somewhere to put your population. And people won't blunder into you in the dark.

Dyson sphere: There, finished it! Err, who turned the light out?..... Damn!

GlennSprigg:
Betelgeuse is (was?) a Giant, but not particularly Hot. There is no particular reason why
it's mass should 'collapse' into a Super Nova etc. (Of course it may have died out a long time ago!).
Our own gaseous 'Jupiter' could/should have been another 'Sun' but wasn't big enough to 'ignite'.
Farewell Betelgeuse!!!   :scared:

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