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T Pyxidis
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<h2 id="effect-on-earth">Effect on Earth</h2> <p>Because of its relative proximity, some—in particular, Edward Sion, astronomer & astrophysicist at <a href="/facts/Villanova_University/GBYuFwtH">Villanova University</a>, and his team therefrom—contend that a type 1a supernova could have a significant impact on Earth. The received <a href="/facts/Gamma_radiation/5Drf913J">gamma radiation</a> would equal the total (all spectra) radiation of approximately 1,000 solar flares,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> but the type Ia supernova would have to be closer than 1,000 parsecs (3,300 light-years) to cause significant damage to the <a href="/facts/Ozone_layer/v4KfjalC">ozone layer</a>, and perhaps closer than 500 parsecs. The <a href="/facts/X-ray/wseP79cN">X-radiation</a> that reaches Earth in such an event, however, would be less than the X-radiation of a single average solar flare.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p><p>However, Sion's calculations were challenged by <a href="/facts/Alex_Filippenko/jPQPxWpX">Alex Filippenko</a> of the <a href="/facts/University_of_California_at_Berkeley/MXVEjklr">University of California at Berkeley</a> who said that Sion had possibly miscalculated the damage that could be caused by a T Pyxidis supernova. He had used data for a far more deadly <a href="/facts/Gamma-ray_burst/oRRU6Fhn">gamma-ray burst</a> (GRB) occurring 1 kilo<a href="/facts/Parsec/SwSsk57J">parsec</a> from Earth, not a supernova, and T Pyxidis certainly is not expected to produce a GRB.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> According to another expert, "[a] supernova would have to be 10 times closer [to Earth] to do the damage described."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Human/rlcTENsr">Mankind</a> survived when the radiation from the <a href="/facts/Crab_Nebula/HmAndxQX">Crab Nebula</a> supernova, at a distance of about 6,500 light-years, reached Earth in the year 1054. A type Ia supernova at a distance of 3,300 light-years would have an apparent magnitude of around -9.3, about as bright as the brightest <a href="/facts/Iridium_flare/w5ug87En">Iridium (satellite) flares</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p><p>Recent data indicates his distance estimate is five times too close. Astronomers used NASA's <a href="/facts/Hubble_Space_Telescope/NQeIf0vw">Hubble Space Telescope</a> to observe the light emitted during its latest outburst in April 2011. The team also used the light echo to refine estimates of the nova's distance from Earth. The new distance is 15,600 light-years (4780 pc) from Earth. Previous estimates were between 6,500 and 16,000 light-years (2000 and 4900 pc).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p><p>It has been reported that T Pyx would "soon" become a supernova.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> However, when <a href="/facts/Scientific_American/jkl8bhUN">Scientific American</a> contacted Sion, it became apparent that "soon" was meant in astronomical terms: Sion said that "soon" in the press announcement meant "[a]t the accretion rate we derived, the white dwarf in T Pyxidis will reach the Chandrasekhar Limit in ten million years."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> By that time it will have moved far enough away from the Solar System to have little effect. </p> <h2 id="2011-outburst">2011 outburst</h2> <p>Mike Linnolt detected T Pyx's first outburst in nearly 45 years on April 14, 2011, at magnitude 13.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> According to AAVSO observers, it reached magnitude 7.5 in the visual and V bands by April 27,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> and reached magnitude 6.8 by May 3.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="x-ray-source">X-ray source</h2> <p>T Pyxidis is a <a href="/facts/Super_soft_X-ray_source/5L893Ysy">super soft X-ray source</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li>AAVSO Variable Star Of The Month April, 2002: T Pyxidis <a href="http://chart.aavso.org/sites/default/files/vsots/0402.pdf">PDF</a> / <a href="http://www.aavso.org/vsots_tpyx">HTML (17 July 2010)</a></li> <li>AAVSO: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/19990824013405/http://ftp.aavso.org/ql/">Quick Look View of AAVSO Observations</a> (get recent magnitude estimates for T Pyx)</li> <li><a href="https://archive.today/20130415203226/http://www.slackerastronomy.org/wordpress/2009/03/podcast-simo-slacker-interviews-pt-i/">Interview with Brad Schaefer about recurrent novae, and T Pyx</a> (@19:40 into recording : 30 March 2009)</li> <li><a href="http://astro.corlan.net/stars/PYX/T-PYX.html">Variable star T PYXIDIS</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.space.com/spacewatch/061222_ns_nova_star.html">Astronomers await a nova</a> (Space.com 22 December 2006)</li> <li>Sion, Edward; <a href="http://bigthink.com/ideas/18969">A Supernova Could Nuke Us.</a> <i>Big Think.</i></li> <li><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap970925.html">NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: T Pyxidis: Recurrent Nova (25 September 1997)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.space.com/7734-explosive-nearby-star-threaten-earth.html">Explosive Nearby Star Could Threaten Earth</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>According to the Argelander system of nomenclature for variable stars, the initial letter is an R, and the counter progresses alphabetically. Thus, T Pyx is the third variable star in the constellation Pyx. <a href="/wiki/Friedrich_Wilhelm_Argelander" target="_blank">/wiki/Friedrich_Wilhelm_Argelander</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Shara, Michael M.; Zurek, David R.; Williams, Robert E.; Prialnik, Dina; et al. (June 1997). "HST Imagery of the Non-Expanding, Clumped "Shell" of the Recurrent Nova T Pyxidis". Astronomical Journal. 114 (1): 258. Bibcode:1997AJ....114..258S. doi:10.1086/118470. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Outburst of the recurrent nova T Pyx". AAVSO. 2011. <a href="http://www.aavso.org/aavso-alert-notice-436" target="_blank">http://www.aavso.org/aavso-alert-notice-436</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"T Pyxidis Soon To Be A Type Ia Supernova". Space Daily. 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2010-01-05. <a href="http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/T_Pyxidis_Soon_To_Be_A_Type_Ia_Supernova_999.html" target="_blank">http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/T_Pyxidis_Soon_To_Be_A_Type_Ia_Supernova_999.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Richmond, Michael (5 December 2009). "Will a Nearby Supernova Endanger Life on Earth?". TASS, The Amateur Sky Survey. Archived from the original on 6 March 2007. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070306114344/http://www.tass-survey.org/richmond/answers/snrisks.txt" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20070306114344/http://www.tass-survey.org/richmond/answers/snrisks.txt</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Richmond, Michael (5 December 2009). "Will a Nearby Supernova Endanger Life on Earth?". TASS, The Amateur Sky Survey. Archived from the original on 6 March 2007. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070306114344/http://www.tass-survey.org/richmond/answers/snrisks.txt" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20070306114344/http://www.tass-survey.org/richmond/answers/snrisks.txt</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>O'Neill, Ian (6 Jan 2010). "Will Earth 'Be Wiped Out' by a Supernova?". Discovery News. <a href="http://news.discovery.com/space/will-earth-really-be-wiped-out-by-a-local-supernova.html" target="_blank">http://news.discovery.com/space/will-earth-really-be-wiped-out-by-a-local-supernova.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>O'Neill, Ian (6 Jan 2010). "Will Earth 'Be Wiped Out' by a Supernova?". Discovery News. <a href="http://news.discovery.com/space/will-earth-really-be-wiped-out-by-a-local-supernova.html" target="_blank">http://news.discovery.com/space/will-earth-really-be-wiped-out-by-a-local-supernova.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>A type Ia supernova has an absolute magnitude of -19.3, which is how bright it would appear 10 parsecs away. This star is 3,300 ly (1000 pc) away, or roughly 100 times farther. By the inverse square law, it would thus appear 100^2 or 10,000 times dimmer. Each step of 5 magnitudes defined as a factor of 100 in brightness, so 10,000 times dimmer would be 10 magnitudes dimmer, or -9.3. <a href="/wiki/Supernova#Type_I" target="_blank">/wiki/Supernova#Type_I</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Crotts, A.; Sokoloski, J.; Uthas, H. & Lawrence, S. (4 Jun 2013). "Hubble maps 3-D structure of ejected material around erupting star". NASA, ESA. <a href="http://phys.org/news/2013-06-hubble-d-ejected-material-erupting.html" target="_blank">http://phys.org/news/2013-06-hubble-d-ejected-material-erupting.html</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"T Pyxidis Soon To Be A Type Ia Supernova". Space Daily. 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2010-01-05. <a href="http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/T_Pyxidis_Soon_To_Be_A_Type_Ia_Supernova_999.html" target="_blank">http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/T_Pyxidis_Soon_To_Be_A_Type_Ia_Supernova_999.html</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Supernova star too close for comfort". Scientific American. 5 Jan 2010. <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=supernova-star-too-close-for-comfor-2010-01" target="_blank">http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=supernova-star-too-close-for-comfor-2010-01</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>T Pyxidis has been discovered in outburst, 2011, AAVSO <a href="http://www.aavso.org/aavso-alert-notice-436" target="_blank">http://www.aavso.org/aavso-alert-notice-436</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"T Pyxidis Finally Blows Again". Sky and Telescope. Retrieved April 30, 2011. <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/119918979.html" target="_blank">http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/119918979.html</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>"Sky & Telescope Observing Blog". Retrieved May 7, 2011. <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/119918979.html" target="_blank">http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/119918979.html</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Ogley, R. N.; Chaty, S.; Crocker, M.; Eyres, S. P. S.; et al. (Apr 2002). "A search for radio emission from Galactic supersoft X-ray sources". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 330 (4): 772–7. arXiv:astro-ph/0111120. Bibcode:2002MNRAS.330..772O. doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05130.x. S2CID 3047485. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1046%2Fj.1365-8711.2002.05130.x" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1046%2Fj.1365-8711.2002.05130.x</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>