Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site infinet.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!wanginst!infinet!barnes
From: barnes@infinet.UUCP (Jim Barnes)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Question about Sirius
Message-ID: <283@infinet.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Dec-85 12:11:38 EST
Article-I.D.: infinet.283
Posted: Mon Dec  9 12:11:38 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Dec-85 10:24:13 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Infinet Inc., Andover, MA
Lines: 20

*** 

In the Boston Globe today (December 9) there is an article about
the dog star Sirius.  Sirius today is visible as a blue-white star 
but this article refers to historical accounts that refer to Sirius 
as a red star.  The speculation (theory?) presented in the article is
that the white dwarf companion star of the visible blue-white star
was a red giant in the recent past.  The question posed is whether a 
red giant star could collapse to a white dwarf star in 1500 years 
or so.  This seems to be much faster than what the current theory 
of stellar evolution would allow.

Does anyone in net land have more information on this?  Anyone
with opinions on whether the collapse of a red giant to white
dwarf is possible in such a short time?

-- 
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decvax!{cca!emacs,wanginst}!infinet!barnes 		Jim Barnes