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Published online 6 March 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.653

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'Death Star' found pointing at Earth

Star-system explosion could threaten life on Earth.

Astronomers have spotted a binary star system that could collapse to produce a massive gamma-ray burst at any point during the next few hundred thousand years — and it is pointing at Earth.

The binary star system WR 104, some 8,000 light-years from Earth in the Sagittarius constellation, is made up of two stars that complete an orbit of one another every 8 months.

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  • If WR 104 does go high order near term it will be a choice signal source for LIGO, from both terminal inspiral and supermova collapse/rebound. Let's do it.

    • 06 Mar, 2008
    • Posted by: "Uncle Al" Schwartz
  • we need to start work on a deflector shield asap!

    • 06 Mar, 2008
    • Posted by: ru tuk
  • it is common practice to use a planets gravity to slingshot satellites and spacecraft to other specific destinations and at a tremendously high-rate of speed. how about using the van halen belt and sling-shoot some of those giant asteroids towards the binary star system WR 104 some 8,000 light-years from Earth in the Sagittarius constellation? sort of like bowling for stars, or planets, meteors, asteroids or any other killer objects hurtling towards mother earth. or are we saving those asteroids for future mineral mining? to hell with that, I say we use 'em as ammo.

    • 06 Mar, 2008
    • Posted by: ru tuk
  • I apologize if prior comments offended any, for me science is rather black and white if not for a sense of humor. most free thinkers think in color, opens the mind to endless possibilities. a very good article by the way, too bad we couldn't see the actual pictures of the two stars.

    • 06 Mar, 2008
    • Posted by: ru tuk
  • Please... I'm too young to die!!! If you're a drudge fan: drudgetracker.com

    • 06 Mar, 2008
    • Posted by: Jimmy L
  • Sagittarius (the archer), how appropriate!

    • 07 Mar, 2008
    • Posted by: Raf Aerts
  • We'll probably all be dead from something else by then (global warming, nuclear terrorism, solar flare, alien conquest, our version of the Krell's Id monster problem with the Big Machine) or be able to use it as a power source.

    • 12 Mar, 2008
    • Posted by: Robert Gertz