What's its place in the Universe? (Literally)
Ursa Minor constellation
(aka Little Dipper)
If its an Isolated Neutron Star...
25,000 light-years from Earth
If its a millisecond pulsar (a type of neutron star)...
250-1,000 light-years from Earth
Calvera was the eighth neutron star discovered, so it was named after villain of "The Magnificent Seven"
The Perfect Name
There were already seven other known isolated neutron stars (INS) named after the movie "The Magnificent Seven" when Calvera was discovered.
A celestial body consisting of the superdense remains of a massive star that has collapsed
Definition: neutron star
The Biography of a Star: Calvera
Kaitlin Tsai and Adrienne Yu
Fun Fact:
Calvera is a high mass star that's already "dead", meaning it no longer produces energy
Calvera is the youngest neutron star discovered yet; it is less than a million years old
Translation:
The Life-Cycle of Calvera
Just like any other star, Calvera was born in a nebulae and developed into a main sequence high mass star
It developed more into a giant/supergiant star and built up energy at its core until...it was just too much and it died in a supernova explosion
(This is the stage Calvera is at right now.) After a star's supernova, it could either turn into a black hole or a neutron star. The black hole or neutron star will eventually fizzle out, and it will return to the nebulae, where it will contribute to the birth of a new star.
A Star's Last Will (the paper kind)
Bibliography
Chemically, the star will leave us with the natural elements on the periodic table. The elements up to iron are made during the star's lifetime, and the others a made from the star's supernova. The extreme heat causes fusion reactions that add protons to atoms and create new elements.
BBC. ‘Rare Dead Star Found Near Earth.’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6955769.stm
August 20, 2007.
Science 2.0 ‘Calvera Is Earth’s Closest Neutron Star.’
http://www.science20.com/news/calvera_is_earths_closest_neutron_star
August 21, 2007.
Alpert, Mark. ‘Neutron Oddball.’ http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~xsong/journal/calvera.pdf
2007.
Big History Project. ‘Stars And Elements.’
https://course.bighistoryproject.com/Syllabus
2012.
Sato, Rebecca. ‘Calvera- Earth’s Closest Neutron Star Discovered.’
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/08/astronomers-bel.html
August 21, 2007.
The evidence presented to us about Calvera is supported by many of the scientists and astronomers who study the sky. Due to advanced technology, we are able to view and observe the universe in much more detail compared to without. We can rely on certain instruments such as strong telescopes to help us discover new evidence.
Stars have the ability to create all elements of the universe when they become a supernova and explode. All stars are part of the third threshold of BIG History, the creation of elements. Calvera, is one of those stars. Calvera’s life-cycle is significant to Big History because it shows that, as the universe ages, more complex things arise.
So What Does This Have To Do With Anything?