Suppose the star Betelgeuse (the upper left shoulder of Orion)were to become a supernova tomorrow (as seen here on Earth).What would it look like to the naked eye?
A)Because the supernova event destroys the star,Betelgeuse would suddenly disappear from view.
B)We'd see a cloud of gas expanding away from the position where Betelgeuse used to be.Over a period of a few weeks,this cloud would fill our entire sky.
C)Betelgeuse would remain a dot of light but would suddenly become so bright that,for a few weeks,we'd be able to see this dot in the daytime.
D)Betelgeuse would suddenly appear to grow larger in size,soon reaching the size of the full moon.It would also be about as bright as the full moon.

Question

Suppose the star Betelgeuse (the upper left shoulder of Orion)were to become a supernova tomorrow (as seen here on Earth).What would it look like to the naked eye?
A)Because the supernova event destroys the star,Betelgeuse would suddenly disappear from view.
B)We'd see a cloud of gas expanding away from the position where Betelgeuse used to be.Over a period of a few weeks,this cloud would fill our entire sky.
C)Betelgeuse would remain a dot of light but would suddenly become so bright that,for a few weeks,we'd be able to see this dot in the daytime.
D)Betelgeuse would suddenly appear to grow larger in size,soon reaching the size of the full moon.It would also be about as bright as the full moon.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a star like Betelgeuse goes supernova, it doesn't disappear or expand to fill the sky. Instead, it becomes extremely bright. A supernova can outshine entire galaxies for a short period, making it visible during the day from Earth.

Suppose the Star Betelgeuse (The Upper Left Shoulder of Orion)were