Saying its name three times

won't have the same effect

as a certain bio-exorcist,

but it's still a sight to behold.

At about 950 times bigger than our Sun,

Betelgeuse is one of the biggest stars

in our Universe.

But that comes with a price.

Just like us, stars have a life expectancy,

and Betelgeuse is no different.

It's a ticking time bomb that's ready to go,

but we're not sure when.

So, what if today was the day

Betelgeuse went out with a bang?

Betelgeuse is one of the closest stars to Earth,

at a distance of only 650 light-years away.

This makes Betelgeuse a fan-favorite

with professional

and amateur astronomers alike.

Betelgeuse is a red giant star,

which means that when it reaches

the end of its life,

it will explode in a spectacular supernova,

possibly even becoming a black hole

in the process.

Let's imagine that today is the day

that Betelgeuse calls it quits,

and puts on one heck of a cosmic light show.

But, before getting good seats

for Betelgeuse's grand finale,

what sort of damage could an exploding star

do to Earth?

Well, think of stars as being like

nuclear power plants.

If they explode,

you're looking at a disaster

of cosmic proportions.

Anything within 50 light-years

of the exploding Betelgeuse

will suffer massive shockwaves,

and be inundated with dust and radiation.

Will you survive the celestial eruption?

Actually, yeah.

I know, I know,

it's weird, right?

This is WHAT IF,

so you're expecting everyone to die.

But get this,

everyone actually makes it

out of this episode OK!

The only side effect we're going to feel

from Betelgeuse exploding

is sadness.

It's going to be a bummer

when we say goodbye to the brightest star

in the Orion constellation.

Down here on Earth,

we're going to see a very bright light in the sky.

It could even be visible during the day,

and bright enough to rival

a full moon at night.

Don't worry, it will be hard for you to miss,

as this light show is expected to go on

for quite some time.

This is because Betelgeuse's light travels

650 light-years from its place in the Universe

to ours.

The event will be breathtaking to behold,

but Betelgeuse will be wrapping up

its farewell tour.

And that's it.

It's been a pleasure, Betelgeuse.

We're about 10 times too far away

to feel any repercussions from the explosion.

If we weren't,

well, that would be another story.

OK, OK, fine.

We know what you want.

This is WHAT IF, after all.

Bring on the destruction!

If we were too close to Betelgeuse

when it explodes,

our atmosphere and cells would be fried

by the radiation and gamma waves.

When you're exposed to

high doses of radiation,

it can burn and scar your skin,

cause genetic mutations,

and can ultimately be lethal.

Gamma radiation, in particular,

is incredibly powerful.

It's pure energy,

even more intense than light itself.

If Betelgeuse were closer to Earth,

it would be a literal and figurative "lights out"

for all of us.

Humans,

animals,

plants, you name it.

We would all be toasted.

An explosion that big,

from a star that immense,

would destroy life on Earth in seconds

once the radiation hits us,

even though the process of going supernova

takes years.

And even if we did have interplanetary ships

to evacuate in time,

Betelgeuse is so huge that

there wouldn't be a planet in our Solar System

that's safe from the explosion.

There! Are you happy?

Everyone dies.

Thankfully, we're much too far from Betelgeuse

to have any direct,

observable

or harmful effects from the explosion.

Betelgeuse is going to explode,

but it will likely take another 100,000 years.

When it does go,

astronomers are going to have to rethink

the structure of Orion.

It may not leave a massive hole in the Universe,

but it will leave a hole in our hearts.

But we're not out of the cosmic woods yet.

What if another devastating cosmic event

decided to make an appearance?

What if a quasar entered our solar system?