Comments on: Naked eye visible GRB! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:58:18 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Earth was in the crosshairs | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/comment-page-3/#comment-117314 Earth was in the crosshairs | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:29:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/#comment-117314 [...] for us, the GRB was far away– far, far away: 7.5 billion light years distant, literally more than halfway across the visible [...] [...] for us, the GRB was far away– far, far away: 7.5 billion light years distant, literally more than halfway across the visible [...]

]]> By: devin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/comment-page-3/#comment-77798 devin Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:16:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/#comment-77798 I am quoting some phrases from this into my essay for school, and I can't find out who the author of this page. could someone help me out with this problem? I am quoting some phrases from this into my essay for school, and I can’t find out who the author of this page. could someone help me out with this problem?

]]> By: Hollywood Riot » Are We Captain Planets or Captain Cavemen? Let’s Solve the Energy Crunch Creatively http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/comment-page-3/#comment-77797 Hollywood Riot » Are We Captain Planets or Captain Cavemen? Let’s Solve the Energy Crunch Creatively Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:52:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/#comment-77797 [...] get really desperate there are always gamma ray bursts we could try and… bottle. According to Bad Astronomy, these cosmic explosions last for a few seconds, but during that time they release more energy than [...] [...] get really desperate there are always gamma ray bursts we could try and… bottle. According to Bad Astronomy, these cosmic explosions last for a few seconds, but during that time they release more energy than [...]

]]> By: NGCHunter http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/comment-page-3/#comment-77796 NGCHunter Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:19:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/#comment-77796 I heard about someone in Montana who was observing when he received the alert for this GRB... he actually saw it with a pair of binoculars, and later with his 20" telescope. That's incredible to me. Not quite unaided, but very close. I'd be thrilled to visually catch any afterglow that distant, even with optical aid. I heard about someone in Montana who was observing when he received the alert for this GRB… he actually saw it with a pair of binoculars, and later with his 20″ telescope. That’s incredible to me. Not quite unaided, but very close. I’d be thrilled to visually catch any afterglow that distant, even with optical aid.

]]> By: R B Heritage http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/comment-page-3/#comment-77795 R B Heritage Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:02:32 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/#comment-77795 I don't have a puny brain. If I did, I would be insulted by the reference in your article that suggests all people have puny brains. And theres nothing to be afraid of. You've referenced everything exciting in your story with fear. Everything is what it is... And... I like your column very much. It's very informative. I wish I had happened to have been looking up in the sky at that very moment at that very spot. I want to see a GRB. With 7 billion people, im sure dozens or even hundreds did see it and it's possible that thousands did ---if there was other cause to look up at that moment--- I think there is a good chance and study of the afterglow will show that we did infact see into the direct path of a GRB from 7.5 billion light years in distance. How else could we see it (with the naked eye) from that far away? Had this occurred from... say... 300 light years away... we wouldn't be blogging right now... The star beattlejuice in the constelation orion that is relative to the distance mentioned afore. This star, I'm sure you know, is aging and could go supernova on us in our lifetime, and therefore could... direct a GRB directly at us and destroy us... The universe is so limitless that i do believe that somewhere right now monkeys are flying out of peoples butts... or some simulation that would make it appear to us that that is infact what we are seeing. I don’t have a puny brain. If I did, I would be insulted by the reference in your article that suggests all people have puny brains.

And theres nothing to be afraid of. You’ve referenced everything exciting in your story with fear.

Everything is what it is…

And… I like your column very much. It’s very informative.

I wish I had happened to have been looking up in the sky at that very moment at that very spot. I want to see a GRB.

With 7 billion people, im sure dozens or even hundreds did see it and it’s possible that thousands did —if there was other cause to look up at that moment—

I think there is a good chance and study of the afterglow will show that we did infact see into the direct path of a GRB from
7.5 billion light years in distance. How else could we see it (with the naked eye) from that far away?

Had this occurred from… say… 300 light years away… we wouldn’t be blogging right now…

The star beattlejuice in the constelation orion that is relative to the distance mentioned afore. This star, I’m sure you know, is aging and could go supernova on us in our lifetime, and therefore could… direct a GRB directly at us and destroy us…

The universe is so limitless that i do believe that somewhere right now monkeys are flying out of peoples butts… or some simulation that would make it appear to us that that is infact what we are seeing.

]]> By: R.K. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/comment-page-3/#comment-77794 R.K. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:10:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/#comment-77794 At what point on Earth would this have been directly overhead? What increase in neutrino flux can be expected? At what point on Earth would this have been directly overhead? What increase in neutrino flux can be expected?

]]> By: Kasundra http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/comment-page-3/#comment-77793 Kasundra Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:32:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/#comment-77793 How do we see gamma ray bursts if gamma rays are not anywhere close to the visible spectrum? How do we see gamma ray bursts if gamma rays are not anywhere close to the visible spectrum?

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