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It's probably nothing but there has been talk in the astronomical community recently about something called a hypernova, it only happens to the very largest stars and is 100 to 1000 times as powerful as a supernova. There is also a new theory that associates hypernovas with gamma ray bursts. Eta Carinae is a huge star, the largest in our galaxy, I read in the June 11 1999 issue of the journal "Science" that in the last few months it has been acting up in a very odd fashion that may be the precursor to a much larger explosion. I wouldn't want to be closer than 100 million light years to a gamma ray burst, I don't remember how far away Eta Carinae is but I know it's less than that. One good thing (good for me not for our friends in OZ), Eta Carinae is only visible in the southern hemisphere.
John K Clark jonkc@att.net
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