this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2023
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Showerthoughts
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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.
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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).