Jakarta –
Supernova it is the explosion of a massive star. This supernova explosion has the potential to destroy the biosphere and flood the planet with lethal radiation.
Reported by detikEdu, a study even reveals the results of a special supernova called can damage the ozone layer. So, does this mean that the Earth is in danger?
When a supernova explodes, it will produce bright light. When viewed through a NASA telescope, this light will look very pretty.
But behind the beauty of that light, it appears that supernovae also bring negative effects, such as the high radiation that is released, to the potential damage to the ozone layer from the explosion.
How dangerous are supernovae to the ozone layer?
When a supernova explodes, it releases high-energy radiation. This radiation can accelerate the change of oxygen to erode the earth’s ozone layer.
If the Earth no longer has the ozone layer, life on this planet will experience a full explosion of ultraviolet radiation from the sun and could end in the extinction of living things on Earth.
The burst of radiation will occur in the first seconds of the supernova. Then cosmic rays will come out which are subatomic particles. These cosmic rays carry a fraction of the total energy of the supernova.
These cosmic rays can erode the ozone layer and flood the planet’s surface with lethal radiation.
Quoted from the Space.com page, such terrible events have occurred in the past. Analysis of the lunar regolith and deep ocean core revealed significant amounts of iron-60, which is a radioactive isotope of iron produced only in supernovae.
A new class of supernova that can erode the ozone layer
Recently, astronomers have discovered a new potential danger from a class of supernovae. This supernova is said to be capable of releasing a form of lethal radiation at very long distances that poses a serious danger to Earth.
The special class in question is called an X supernova. The explosion can occur when a star nearing the end of its life is surrounded by a thick disk of material.
After the initial explosion of the supernova, a shock wave forms and strikes the disk. Subsequently, the shock wave would heat the plate to a very high temperature.
This causes the disk to emit large amounts of X-ray radiation. The radiation is said to be capable of carrying large amounts of energy and traveling great distances.
Astronomers in a recent study found that the brightest X-ray supernovae can overwhelm a planet’s ozone layer and strip it by up to 50 percent.
The bad news is that these conditions are more than enough to trigger an extinction event on Earth.
Is the Earth safe?
Although the impact is very dangerous and can even cause extinction, astronomers reveal that the Earth is in a safe condition. This is because there are no nearby supernova candidates that could threaten life on Earth.
In a recent study that placed further limits on the galaxy’s habitable zone it was also speculated that Earth is in one of the safest environments in the entire galaxy.
Watch a video “Cause of Planet Venus Hot as Hell“
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