35
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2023
35 points (90.7% liked)
Showerthoughts
29239 readers
1334 users here now
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.
Rules
- All posts must be showerthoughts
- The entire showerthought must be in the title
- Posts must be original/unique
- Be good to others - no bigotry - including racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, or xenophobia
- Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
A white dwarf close to us could go supernova and wipe us without us being able to do anything about it.
A white dwarf is a remnant of a dead star. It cannot go supernova by itself.
It can, if it's stealing matter from a companion star and it crosses a critical mass threshold (around 1.44 solar masses). Look up "type Ia supernova"
Which means it does need outside help (even passive help).