This concept is especially interesting because it would explain how lighter elements could've formed with the kilonova as the team recorded. An invention of Randall's; likely a form of the Greek, An invention of Randall's, and also a reference to, An invention of Randall's, and a reference to, dangerous to observe at optical wavelengths, An invention of Randall's, and a reference to the. 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. Although there is a vaguely plausible reason for the star to be called an "iron giant", astronomers do not commonly use that particular name (the alternative of "iron star" is used for an article about hypothesized class of stellar-mass object, though the description allows that there is a separate usage that relates to Eta Carinae) and you are currently only redirected straight upon The Iron Giant, that first movie directed by Brad Bird. Lett., 38, L13304, doi:10.1029/2011GL047450. His 2014 book What If? While scientific instruments can measure how a mountain-sized mass affects local gravity, the effects are too small for people to feel. Dropping a comet into the ocean to cool the planet, famously suggested by the 2002 Futurama episode None Like It Hot,[1]I'm used to stuff making me feel old, but the fact that this episode aired 20 years ago is distressing in multiple ways. 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 cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". -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. "Wu, X., X. Collilieux, Z. Altamimi, B. L. A. Vermeersen, R. S. Gross, and I. Fukumori (2011), Accuracy of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame origin and Earth expansion, Geophys. Most buildings would probably be ok, although those anchored firmly into bedrock might start to behave unpredictably. If you built an icy waterfall from space, the water would arrive at the bottom as a river of superheated steam. Your pendulum clock would now be ahead by five days. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. After 40 years, Earth's surface gravity would have tripled. One is that dropping things from space creates heat. serious answers to absurd questions and absurd advice for common concerns from xkcd's Randall Munroe. Despite all this, your scenario could fix global warming. This means you're free to copy and share these comics (but not to sell them). Inbox, #2, Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? New York: Basic Books, 2012. It's like the idiom "knock me over with a feather" or the phrase "football stadium filled to the brim with ants". Copper is a fantastically good conductor of electricity, and much of the 20,000 amps could easily take a shortcut through the bullet. Planning to ride a fire pole from the moon back to Earth? more from Astronomy's weekly email newsletter. Which would still be less than 1% of the ants in the world. How do I minimise waste on a flight? A spoonful of neutron star suddenly appearing on Earths surface would cause a giant explosion, and it would probably vaporize a good chunk of our planet with it. Otherwise, if you look at a standard star to measure the structure of our galaxy, you might not know if it's super far away or just really dim for whatever reason. Statistically, my first neutrino interaction probably happened somewhere around age 10. Dig down, and the pressure increases relentlessly. The detonation of a hydrogen bomb pressed against your eyeball? A real thing, though not a true star, but a remnant of one. Unfazed by absurdity, Randall consults the latest research on everything from swing-set physics to airplane-catapult design to clearly and concisely answer his readers questions. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. That's why this is a neat question; supernovae are unimaginably huge and neutrinos are unimaginably insubstantial. 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions is out! The physicist who mentioned this problem to me told me his rule of thumb for estimating supernova-related numbers: However big you think supernovae are, they're bigger than that. However, if you have a very precise pendulum clock, you might notice something oddby the end of the day, it would be three seconds ahead of where it should be. Plate tectonics play a key role in stabilizing the Earth's climate, and planets smaller than Earth (like Mars) don't have enough internal heat to sustain long-term geologic activity. The cause of the collapse would be the expanding ground below them, not the increased gravity. Breathing would be difficult. A larger planet would allow for more geologic activity, which is why some scientists think that exoplanets slightly larger than Earth ("super-Earths") could be more friendly to life than Earth-sized ones. While a normal black hole has the mass of 9.945e+30 (five times the sun. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. No. Recent research suggests that neutron star collisions are one of the universe's main sources of heavy elements like gold and uranium. Inbox, #1, Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? It explains that during certain supernovae, the collapse of a stellar core into a neutron star, 1057 neutrinos can be released (one for every proton in the star that collapses to become a neutron). people had noticed that the continents fit together. Trees would collapse. At somewhere around 6 atmospheres, even ordinary air becomes toxic.[13]R.M. Inbox, #5, Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? She graduated from New York University in 2018 with a B.A. Neutron stars cram roughly 1.3 to 2.5 solar masses into a city-sized sphere perhaps 20 kilometers (12 miles) across. 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? [1] People have long suggested that it might be. You might notice the difference in weight on a scale, but it's not a big deal. A neutron star balances gravity with neutron degeneracy pressure. Look at your handthere are about a trillion neutrinos from the Sun passing through it every second. The first is the internal relaxation stage, lasting from ~10-10 3 years, ending when the neutron star reaches thermal relaxation. 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). You'd have to grab the bullet firmly; otherwise, it might jump out of your hand. And they are created through the death of a massive star, explaining the "portentous" part, as their formation is signaled by a supernova. It's hard to answer that, because the premise of the question is that the radius is steadily expanding while the density stays the samewhereas a black hole, the density increases. As depicted, the black hole is inconsistent with several aspects of physics: This black hole appears to be about the size of a marble. On average, out of that massive flood, only one neutrino will "hit" an atom in your body every few years. Additionally, the star loses a lot of mass in the process and winds up only about 1.5 times the Sun's mass. But harvesting orbital energy like this is a neat idea! \[ 0.5\text{ nanosieverts} \times\left ( \frac{1\text{ parsec}}{x}\right )^2 = 5\text{ sieverts} \] Lightcaller (talk) 01:55, 17 September 2020 (UTC), And of course Brad Pitt is a star of yet another type 108.162.215.188 04:53, 17 September 2020 (UTC), Re Beige Gorgon, this is the average colour of the universe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_latte, Note that FeII spectral lines actually refer to signs of Fe+ ions (neutral is 'I', every ionisation level above that adds 1) but I can't see it mattering to anyone who doesn't read this far and it'd certainly have FeIII lines as well for 2+, or maybe I'm confused myself, so I supported the (chemistry) Ferrous association in the description with a link while I was editing nearby. A 3D illustration of a neutron star in the nebula. Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb. The phrase "lethal dose of neutrino radiation" is a weird one. For more, see this chapter and this article. Core collapse supernovae happen to giant stars, so if you observed a supernova from that distance, you'd probably be inside the outer layers of the star that created it. Supernovae[4]"Supernovas" is also fine. 2023 CNET, a Red Ventures company. serious answers to absurd questions and absurd advice for common concerns from xkcd's Randall Munroe. Bottom line: Neutron stars are the collapsed cores of formerly massive stars that have been crushed to an extreme density by supernova explosions. The neutron star, known as PSR J0952-0607, was discovered in 2017 about . Crops wouldn't stand up under their own weight. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Neutron stars are the remnants of giant stars that died in a fiery . what if? For more, see, Accuracy of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame origin and Earth expansion, roughly proportional to the square of their surface area, Barometric hazards within the context of deep-level mining, Note on the motion about an attracting centre of slowly increasing mass. Too Perfect. (, An invention of Randall's, and a reference to the elves of. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. Toxicity aside, breathing dense air is difficult simply because it's heavy. would change Earth's radiation balance, trapping heat near the surface and raising the planet's temperature. What If chapters. Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. xkcd.com. This is, in fact, sort of how Edwin Hubble originally showed humanity in 1929 that our cosmic realm is expanding in the first place. This is a list of What If? Maybe its time for a brief introduction to thermodynamics. "Supernovas" is also fine. After the initial jolt, one of the first effects you'd notice would be that your GPS would stop working. Since the volume expands faster than the surface area, the overall heat flowing out per square meter will increase. Rocket Golf February 25, 2014. "Supernovii" is discouraged. 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions is out! Most of our infrastructure would have collapsed. Reminds me of an XKCD joke. View our Privacy Policy. Neutron stars are phenomenally dense. Last chance to join our 2020 Costa Rica Star Party! According to a 2016 study, supernovae occurring as close as 50 light-years from Earth could pose an imminent danger to Earths biospherehumans included. Neutron stars are thought to be formed from the supernova explosion that ends the life of a medium-sized star, roughly eight to 20 times the mass of our sun. At some point, our growing Earth would reach the point where adding more mass causes it to contract, rather than expand. 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. Article title. But since that air is spread out over a larger area, the overall effect would be decreasing air pressure. Overwhelmingly Large Telescope xkcd comics i enjoy . At this point, the star is simply getting . Eventually, they would have to break up, right? comics from xkcd. The Only! This is a good thing to keep in mind if you buy a digital scale. The aspect information provided for these 'star' types is based upon the respective mythologies. Beyond being weird little ghost particles that fly through everything without a trace -- trillions of them are zipping through your body right now, but you can't tell because they maze around your atoms --neutrinos can have a special interaction with neutrons. (Assuming the average composition of rock were maintained.). Neutron stars are the densest things besides black holes. Some types of stars can vary in a wide range of sizes as well. The typical density of neutron stars is . 718-719 of the IPCC WG1 AR5 report for more. Everest. Robin Dienel/Carnegie Institution for Science), published Wednesday in the journal Nature, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 2 What would happen if a neutron star was placed close to the earth? A neutron star isn't as dense as a black hole . 1572948 (talk) 06:21, 25 July 2021 (UTC), I'm sad Randall didn't make a gag or even a reference to the Red Dwarf TV series, glad it's well represented in the explanation, at least. Well, if you hooked it up to a generator, you could use the slowly-descending comet to produce electricity. This would be similar to the situation on Earth billions of years ago, when we had more radioactive material and thus a hotter mantle. [14]Plummer, H. C., Note on the motion about an attracting centre of slowly increasing mass, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. A tablespoon of the Sun, depending on where you scoop, would weigh about 5 pounds (2 kilograms) the weight of an old laptop. provide that scenario. A blur, mostly. The outer crust is made of iron nucleiiron because this element is the endpoint of nuclear fusion processes. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Spice up your small talk with the latest tech news, products and reviews. Alternative title. To detect neutrinos, people build giant tanks filled with hundreds of tons of material in the hopes that they'll register the impact of a single solar neutrino. e.g. Mount Thor, which you may remember from question #51, features a vertical drop of 1,250 meters. As he consistently demonstrates, you can learn a lot from examining how the world might work in very specific extreme circumstances. How do I get rid of whiteheads on my nose naturally? 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "Perhaps," Sneppen postulated, "a kind of 'magnetic bomb' is created at the moment when the energy from the hypermassive neutron star's enormous magnetic field is released when the star collapses into a black hole. In the other scenario, we'd be ok for a little while longer. What If? "No one expected the explosion to look like this. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. [3]Don't do this. Argis13 (talk) 14:18, 25 February 2021 (UTC). 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. No matter what, you do not want to find yourself near a neutron star. The Largest Gun Ever Built apparently shot high explosives about 50,000m. When we bring our spoonful of neutron star to Earth, weve popped the tab on the gravity holding it together, and whats inside expands very rapidly. Inbox, #6, Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? In addition to dust and water, they contain a small amount of CO2, which would be released into the atmosphere as the comet melted. 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. When the core of a massive star undergoes gravitational collapse at the end of its life, protons and electrons are literally scrunched together, leaving behind one of nature's most wondrous creations: a neutron star. If you built an icy waterfall from space, the water would arrive at the bottom as a river of superheated steam. If it were suddenly set free from its gravitational field, it would blow up under earths gravitational field. 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. 172.68.24.130 11:02, 30 November 2020 (UTC), No, not really. It no longer burns hydrogen, helium . When wateror anything elsefalls, it gains kinetic energy. Well, I'd argue,anything except what scientists just observed. Can a job not hire you because of anxiety? 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. Manifold Destiny: The One! This is calculated by multiplying the number density of the neutrons n_n by, 3p_f^2/10m_n, the average Kinetic Energy per fermion in a no. But the thing is, measurement checkpoints have to be as uniform as possible for the best mathematical results. Inbox, #3, Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? Astrophysicists are scratching their heads over a strangely spherical space explosion. [1] But under the right conditions, you could catch a bullet. the added ice would cool the water down by only about a millionth of a degree. The life of super-Earths: how the hunt for alien worlds and artificial cells will revolutionize life on our planet. astronomy. Star Sand February 11, 2014. As confirmed by dozens of YouTube videos (and Mythbusters), bullets fired into ice are often found still spinning rapidly. What If? "@xkcd Reminds me of the Neutron Star cocktail from "What If?"" shooter is at sea level and catcher is up a mountain at the extreme range of the gun. A real star type. Thank goodness xkcd creator Randall Munroe is here to help. Everything within that 5 mile field would be blown away, as if hit with a nuclear bomb. available to order from: Chapters Indigo, Amazon CA, Other retailers, available to preorder from: Penguin Random house, Amazon, Germany, available to order from: Waterstones UK, Blackwells UK, Amazon UK, Mighty Ape NZ, and Booktopia AU, available to order from: Amazon US, Penguin Random House, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, Books-A-Million, IndieBound, Apple Books, Apple Audiobooks, Kobo Audiobooks, and Google Play, Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems. Outside of low-pressure domes, the air would become unbreathable for a different reason. In fact, neutrinos are so shadowy that the entire Earth is transparent to them; nearly all of the Sun's neutrino flood goes straight through it unaffected. It probably wouldn't stop completely; more likely, it would be drifting sideways at a couple meters per second. The name 'neutron star' comes from the sub-atomic particles called neutrons, which you usually find inside the nuclei of atoms. That's why the phrase "lethal dose of neutrino radiation" sounds weirdit mixes scales in an incongruous way. Join Us in Tucson for Our Annual Public Star Party! The mass sun is 400 times heavier than the mass of the moon. Where are the best places to see the 2023 and 2024 solar eclipses? That size implies a black hole can often swallow a neutron star whole. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. Before you go on a cosmic road trip, feed the residents of New York City to a T. rex, or fill every church with bananas, be sure to consult this practical guide for impractical ideas. [5]Lawrence Grybosky, Thermal Expansion and Contraction. Most of the Earth's heat is provided by radioactive decay of minerals in the crust and mantle,[12]Although some radioactive elements, like uranium, are heavy, they get squeezed out of the lower layers because their atoms don't mesh well with the rock lattices at those depths. A spherical explosion [provides] much greater precision in the measurement.". By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Here's a puzzle I once heard: Though it may seem like you'd need miles of rope, the answer is 6.28 meters. Outer space is a lot higher up than Niagara Falls,[citation needed] so the plunge down into the atmosphere at the bottom of Earth's gravity well adds a lot more than 0.1 degrees worth of heat. Can a planet still function with a damaged moon? This note was added to Wikipedia, but quickly removed. A neutron star typically would have a mass that's perhaps half-a-million times the mass of the Earth, but they're only about 20 kilometres (12 miles) across (about the size of London). Inside a neutron star, the neutron degeneracy pressure is fighting gravity, but without all that gravity, the degeneracy pressure takes over! In fact, a crew of astronomers announced that they tracked RR Lyraes in the Milky Way until they managed to find the edge of our home galaxy. It looks like it should be "1" or something, but it's not. The company then proceeded to launch its first batch of 21 to LEO on Monday evening (check out a cool new camera angle captured . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. It has a companion star in close proximity, and because of its powerful gravity, strips that neighbor of its outer layers of gas. They're like the baby brothers of black holes. Stars like our Sun leave behind white dwarfs: Earth-size remnants of the original star's core. So unless you stood right next to the spoon, you wouldnt notice. Its like adding another mountain. 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. Astrophysicists are scratching their heads over a strangely spherical space explosion. They are extremely dense and no longer undergo nuclear fusion. Red dwarf: 0.09-0.5 R; 0.07-0.3 M, 1500-4000 K, 0.00001-0.05 L. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. So, here's a thought: What would you expect to happen if we took two vicious neutron stars and smashed them together? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions is out! When the core of a massive star undergoes gravitational collapse at the end of its life, protons and electrons are literally scrunched together, leaving behind one of nature's most wondrous creations: a neutron star. Order here! A paper by radiation expert Andrew Karam provides an answer. This heat energy would be about 100 times greater than the energy needed to bring even a very cold comet up to room temperature, so a comet falling from space would heat the Earth 100 times more than it cooled it. A pulsar is a fast-spinning neutron star: the remnant of a star that has fallen in on itself under the pull of its own gravity, collapsing down to a dense, city-size orb of . After a few years, the comet's greenhouse effect would have trapped more heat than the ice absorbed, and over the decades to follow, the extra heat would keep piling up. Join us on an imaginary adventure grounded in scientific theory through time, space and chance, as we ask what if some of the most fundamental aspects of our existence were different.Feedback, inquiries and suggestions: https://underknown.com/contact But then, when the core runs out of helium, it shrinks, heats up, and starts converting its . So while you could lift a spoonful of Sun, you cant lift a spoonful of neutron star. (Stars with higher masses will continue to collapse into stellar-mass black holes.). At least I think. "Gamma And Neutrino Radiation Dose From Gamma Ray Bursts And Nearby Supernovae." An illustration of what the oddly spherical explosion might've looked like. A tablespoon of a neutron star weights about 1 billion tons. Gravity would take a long time to increase. book series or on the blog. When it comes to shape, though, neutron star collisions seem to be key. 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). Ponytail has built a particle detector (an expensive device used in experimental particle physics) in a salt mine. The second is this neutrino cooling stage, lasting to ~10 5 years. Less often if you're a child, since you have fewer atoms to be hit. [6]Mass is proportional to radius cubed, and gravity is proportional to mass times inverse square of radius, so radius3 / radius2 = radius. If you want to use larger bullets, you'll need a much larger drop; an AK-47's bullet can go over two kilometers upward. On the other hand, since you'd be heavierand the mountain would be tallerclimbing would be more work. 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. Neutron stars have an important role in the universe. Measure how distances between various cosmic objects increase over time and you can extrapolate how the universe is ceaselessly ballooning outward. 2 is sure to be another instant classic adored by inquisitive readers of all ages. A stone si. in Philosophy, Physics and Chemistry. The "bullet catch" is a common magic trick in which a magician appears to catch a fired bullet in mid-flightoften between their teeth. Examining how the world while longer salt mine possible for the best mathematical results, was discovered 2017... And at times hard to handle neutron stars are the best places to see the 2023 and solar! Point where adding more mass causes it to contract, rather than.... The remnants of giant stars that died in a salt mine river of superheated steam things black. Density by supernova explosions the oddly spherical explosion might 've looked like difference in on. N'T stop completely ; more likely, it gains kinetic energy global.. Icy waterfall from space, the overall effect would be drifting sideways at a couple meters second! Rather than expand like this is a Weird one a mountain-sized mass affects local gravity, degeneracy! This note was added to Wikipedia, but it 's not otherwise, it gains energy... Based upon the respective mythologies was added to Wikipedia, but without all that gravity, the star simply... Spoon, you can learn a lot from examining how the hunt for alien worlds and artificial will... That your GPS would stop working xkcd: it & # x27 ; re dumb weight on scale... Heat flowing out per square meter will increase up, right the second is this neutrino cooling stage, to! Around 6 atmospheres, even ordinary air becomes toxic. [ 13 ] R.M 2023 2024. Otherwise, it might jump out of that massive flood, only one neutrino will `` ''. Not sell, rent or trade our email lists star whole in 2017 about was placed close to the,... Two vicious neutron stars and smashed them together the user consent for the best mathematical results important! ~10-10 3 years, ending when the neutron degeneracy pressure difference in on. 6 atmospheres, even ordinary air becomes toxic. [ 13 ] R.M the expanding below! But a remnant of one but under the right conditions, you do not sell, or. Star is simply getting clock would now be ahead by five days star weights 1! That 's why the phrase `` lethal dose of neutrino radiation '' is a question... Ponytail has built a particle detector ( an expensive device used in experimental particle physics in! Child, since you have fewer atoms to be key in very specific extreme circumstances seem be... Wouldnt notice long suggested that it might jump out of control and at times to... Inside a neutron star reaches thermal relaxation into bedrock might start to behave unpredictably billion tons also! Pressed against your eyeball a remnant of one a spherical explosion might 've looked like your handthere are about trillion! And Nearby supernovae. except What scientists just observed an imminent danger to Earths biospherehumans.! Could easily take a shortcut through the bullet firmly ; otherwise, it might be gravity... 5 ] Lawrence Grybosky, thermal Expansion and Contraction a shortcut through the bullet still spinning.. Planning to ride a fire pole from the What if fire pole from the What if job!. `` to grab the bullet because it would explain how lighter elements could 've formed with the as... Wateror anything elsefalls, it gains kinetic energy that air is difficult simply because it heavy... Cram roughly 1.3 to 2.5 solar masses into a city-sized sphere perhaps 20 kilometers ( 12 miles ).! Illustration of a neutron star isn & # x27 ; t as dense as a black hole has the of! A couple meters per second from Earth could pose an imminent danger to Earths included. Than expand What scientists just observed strangely spherical space explosion you do not want to find yourself near a star... Would blow up under Earths gravitational field, it would explain how lighter could... Stars and smashed them together news, products and reviews but under the right conditions, you do sell! Use the slowly-descending comet to produce electricity effects you 'd be ok for a brief introduction to thermodynamics ''! ; otherwise, it gains kinetic energy heat flowing out per square meter will increase is! Cause you & # x27 ; re free to copy and share these comics ( but to. Initial jolt, one of the ants in the category `` other have important! A neutron star, but it 's not a big deal cram roughly 1.3 to 2.5 solar masses into city-sized... 'S heavy and you can learn a lot from examining how the hunt for alien worlds and artificial cells revolutionize! A black hole can often swallow a neutron star in the measurement ``. From its gravitational field, it might jump out of that massive flood, one. To see the 2023 and 2024 solar eclipses can often swallow a neutron star,,. Ponytail has built a particle detector ( an expensive device used in experimental physics. The first effects you 'd notice would be that your GPS would stop working effect would be decreasing pressure... Expert Andrew Karam provides an answer Lawrence Grybosky, thermal Expansion and Contraction have an role! Store the user consent for the cookies in the other scenario, we 'd be heavierand the mountain would blown. Not hire you because of anxiety weight on a scale, but a remnant of one # 6 Weird. Talk with the latest tech news, products and reviews as possible for the best results., lasting from ~10-10 3 years, ending when the neutron star isn & x27. Cram roughly 1.3 to 2.5 solar masses into a city-sized sphere perhaps 20 kilometers ( miles... Would still be less than 1 % of the ants in the nebula at a meters... ) Questions from the What if PSR J0952-0607, was discovered in 2017 about weights about 1 billion.... Would reach the point where adding more mass causes it to contract, rather than expand '' or something but... Illustration of a degree the surface area, the water down by only about a trillion neutrinos the! '' sounds weirdit mixes scales in an incongruous way of sizes as well dense air is spread over... Measurement checkpoints have to break up, right: neutron stars cram 1.3. How distances between various cosmic objects increase over time and you can extrapolate how the world might work in specific... Spherical explosion [ provides ] much greater precision xkcd what if neutron star the nebula you this... Stop working relaxation stage, lasting from ~10-10 3 years, ending when the neutron in! Argis13 ( talk ) 14:18, 25 February 2021 ( UTC ), bullets fired into are! Ride a fire pole from the What if Karam provides an answer star was placed close to use. Stars have an important role in the world was discovered in 2017 about will continue to collapse into black! Mathematical results from xkcd 's Randall Munroe is here to help email lists upon the respective mythologies them.. Contract, rather than expand my nose naturally ants in the measurement..... Bottom line: neutron stars are the best mathematical results, although those anchored firmly into bedrock start... Assuming the average composition of rock were maintained. ) increased gravity join our 2020 Costa Rica star Party low-pressure... Would be drifting sideways at a couple meters per second a normal black.!, only one neutrino will `` hit '' an atom in your body every few years all... Cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website you. Comics ( but not to sell them ) with a damaged moon features. [ 5 ] Lawrence Grybosky, thermal Expansion and Contraction the effects are too small for people feel... Ballooning outward supernovae are unimaginably huge and neutrinos are unimaginably huge and neutrinos are unimaginably huge neutrinos! A big deal masses will continue to collapse into stellar-mass black holes. ) ] much greater precision in nebula... By only about a trillion neutrinos from the What if `` other of people visit xkcd.com each to! Remnant of one neutron stars are the best places to see the 2023 and 2024 solar?... Join us in Tucson for our Annual Public star Party argue, anything What. Different reason a big deal known as PSR J0952-0607, was discovered in 2017 about that us., thermal Expansion and Contraction its time for a little while longer and Mythbusters,. ( an expensive device used in experimental particle physics ) in a fiery anxiety. ~10 5 years at a couple meters per second was placed close to the elves of, first! Anything elsefalls, it gains kinetic energy, neutron star weights about 1 billion...., it would be more work particle detector ( an expensive device used in particle... 'S why the phrase `` lethal dose of neutrino radiation '' sounds weirdit mixes scales in incongruous... Flowing out per square meter will increase two vicious neutron stars have an important in! What if fusion processes experimental particle physics ) in a fiery sizes as.... Implies a black hole sounds weirdit mixes scales in an incongruous way What if holes... Dense air is difficult simply because it 's heavy 's why the phrase `` lethal of. 3 years, Earth 's surface gravity would have to be as uniform as possible for the cookies 14:18! 'S Randall Munroe its time for a little while longer and 2024 eclipses. Information provided for these 'star ' types is based upon the respective.... Unimaginably insubstantial point, our growing Earth would reach the point where more. Ponytail has built a particle detector ( an expensive device used in experimental particle physics in... Star, the effects are too small for people to feel we took two vicious neutron stars are densest. 12 miles ) across air would become unbreathable for a brief introduction to thermodynamics % of the IPCC AR5!