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They’re different measurements. A light year is the distance light travels in a year.

I love reading things about space and astronomy... until I don't. I always makes my head go 'on tilt' and then it makes me frustrated. I just read this about Betelgeuse. Where we see it now at a distance of 640 light-years seems very far away, and it is, but then I remind myself that the Milky Way is 100,000 light-years across.

If this is accurate, Betelgeuse exploded over 600 million years ago -- the show is just now nearing Earth... It's taken that long for the light to get here!
Something incredible is brewing in the constellation Orion, and the entire universe might be about to put on the most dramatic show ever. The star Betelgeuse, a massive red supergiant located around 640 light-years away, is reaching the final stages of its life.
This star is no ordinary space object. It’s 10 to 20 times more massive than the Sun, and it’s been burning through its nuclear fuel at an intense rate. In recent years, especially during the 2019–2020 dimming events, Betelgeuse has shown strange and unpredictable behaviour. These flickers and dips in brightness have scientists on edge, wondering if the long-expected supernova is finally near.
If Betelgeuse explodes, it will release an unimaginable amount of energy, briefly shining brighter than entire galaxies. And here’s the exciting part. The supernova explosion will be visible from Earth, even during the daylight hours, and could last for weeks or even months as a blazing point of light in the sky.
There is no danger to Earth since Betelgeuse is far enough away, but the event will be a once-in-a-lifetime celestial spectacle. The explosion will also enrich space with heavier elements, spreading the building blocks of new stars and planets into the cosmos.
Astronomers around the world are constantly watching Betelgeuse, checking for brightness changes and other signs that might hint at the final collapse. Whether it happens in our lifetime or centuries from now, one thing is certain. When Betelgeuse goes supernova, it will be the most spectacular event ever recorded by humanity in the night sky.

Interesting, but if Betelgeuse is 640 light years away, then it takes light from it 640 years to reach Earth, I think. I'm not sure where the 600 million is coming from?

@TRayB said:
@CalvinAndHobo Two up on this trip, eh? Beautiful pics, where are you?

In Mexican Hat Utah right now, on our way to the Grand Canyon and then her parents house in Phoenix the next day.

The hooks I ordered were too small so I got some larger ones that just came in tonight. Looks like they'll work great.

https://a.co/d/4sSckAF

I put up some 3/4" EMT with shower curtain hooks and put grommets in the shade cloth and I have a sliding shade cloth now for the Western side of the patio. I may do one for the Eastern side after I try it out just pinning up a shade cloth to see if it's worth it for the morning sun.

It was 100 F under the Man Patio this afternoon when I was working on the sliding shade cloth setup.

@peter4jc said:
That's only because Trump fired the lady who puts the numbers together and replaced her with someone who would tell him what he wants to hear.

Or maybe he fired her because her numbers were so flawed?