Topic: Procyon misbehaving?

[Nemesis]

Link to article

VANCOUVER (CP) - A small Canadian space telescope has led to a big discovery.

The year-old MOST telescope found that one of the best-known stars in the galaxy, called Procyon, is a "flatliner" that exhibits none of the pulsations predicted in earlier theory, scientists at the University of British Columbia on Wednesday.

"The lack of a pulse doesn't mean the Procyon is dead," said astronomer Jaymie Matthews, who works with MOST, short for microvariability and oscillations of stars. "But it does mean that some of our long-held theories about stars like this need to be put on the critical list." 

The Canadian Space Agency launched MOST, designed by Dynacon Inc., using a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile that had originally been designed as a nuclear weapon.

Canada was able to build the satellite from the scrapped missile and launch it for about $10 million. 

Maybe Zefram Cochrane is Canadian. 

[Ravok]

  Thanks i love this stuff!!
 Its interesting the more we learn the less we know. And who says the space program is not worth the money?

[Byzantine]

Just reading a National Geographic article on our sun today that says it pulses at about 5 minute intervals.  I wonder what Procyon's non-pulse means.  What makes the 2 stars different?

[S'Raek]

Lots of cool space news lately.  Please keep us up to date!  Personally I'm not smart enough to understand most of it but it sure is fun.  lol 

[FMMonty]

It is always fun when beautiful theories are shattered by annoying facts

Wish I could remember who said that...