HEADLINEKALTIM.CO–Recent discoveries by a number of astronomers reveal the dangers of supernovae. Supernovae are explosions from massive stars that have died. The stars then temporarily become some of the brightest objects in the universe.
Apparently, a supernova can destroy the ozone layer in a planet’s atmosphere after the first stage of the explosion. Does it threaten the Earth? If a supernova explodes, it can damage the biosphere and flood a planet with deadly radiation.
Supernova occurs when a star is nearing the end of its life and is surrounded by a thick disk of various materials. After the initial explosion of the supernova, a shock wave forms and strikes the disk.
Experts have examined X-rays from supernovae by analyzing the collective X-ray data from different satellites such as Chandra, Swift-XRT, XMM-Newton, NuStar, etc. As a result, “we found that the threat (X-ray radiation) is particularly acute in supernovae, indicating strong evidence for stellar disk interactions, such as type II explosions, that have far-reaching impacts than previously thought.” previously,” wrote the experts. .
“Furthermore, X-rays from supernovae can have a substantial impact and pose a serious threat to the biosphere and narrow the habitable zone of the galaxy,” he wrote.
The shock wave then heated the disc to incredible levels of heat. As a result, the disc produces a very large amount of X-ray radiation.
Radiation can carry huge amounts of energy and travel huge distances of up to 150 light-years.
In a recent study, astronomers discovered that the brightest X-rays from a supernova can damage the ozone layer, depleting it by up to 50%.
At that rate, the possibility of a mass extinction is very likely. Such a supernova can deliver a “one-two punch kill”. Several months after the initial explosion, the weakened planet will be bombarded with continuous X-rays.
Then, hundreds or thousands of years later, cosmic rays will arrive before the biosphere has had a chance to recover and rebuild its defences.
The question is, does this type of supernova threaten Earth?
Launching into space, Earth has so far been relatively safe because there are no such close-range supernovae. But the studies that have been done show further limits to the habitable zone of the galaxy.
On the other hand, the brightness of a supernova can exceed that of hundreds of billions of stars combined. As an illustration, a star close enough to Earth, Betelgeuse, will explode in billions of years.
Despite being 600 light-years from Earth, Betelgeuse will be the second-brightest object after the Sun. Betelgeuse will remain visible throughout the day, shining brightly beyond a full moon.
This article from CNN Indonesia was published on cnnindonesia.com with the title “Do experts find that supernovae can damage the ozone layer, a threat to Earth?” More here:https://www.cnnindonesia.com/teknologi/20230103102943-199-895381/pakar-temukan-supernova-bisa-rusak-lapisan-ozon-ancaman-untuk-bumi
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