What would a gamma ray burst do to a human?
The gamma radiation from a burst within a few kiloparsecs would quickly deplete much of the Earth’s protective ozone layer, allowing an increase in solar UVB radiation reaching the surface. This radiation is harmful to life, damaging DNA and causing sunburn.
What would happen if a gamma ray burst hit the Earth?
With the gamma-rays beamed directly at Earth, the radiation would destroy a significant portion of our atmosphere, specifically the ozone layer. Then there are the lethal doses of radiation that surface life would experience. The end result would be mass extinctions of most species of life on our planet.
Can we survive a gamma ray burst?
We have seen and survived plenty of others. Gamma ray bursts are extremely powerful, but the energy is concentrated in a narrow beam, making hitting the Earth extremely unlikely. If one hits the Earth, it would depend on the distance. Within 6000 light years it starts to have effects.
Will the Earth be affected by a gamma ray burst?
The main factors of that question are: if the Sun is massive enough to block it and if the burst is of short enough duration that the Earth will be in the Sun’s shadow long enough. The gamma ray burst took place at least 1000 years ago so there will be no records of the incident.
Is there any record of a gamma ray burst on Venus?
The gamma ray burst took place at least 1000 years ago so there will be no records of the incident. The source does not need to conform to any known massive stars. Also, Venus will be in conjunction with the Earth so I don’t have to explain why it kept its atmosphere.
What are gamma ray bursts and supernovae?
Gamma ray bursts ( GRB s) are the brightest electromagnetic blasts known to occur in the Universe, and can originate from the collapse of the most massive types of stars or from the collision of two neutron stars. Supernovae are stellar explosions that also can send harmful radiation hurtling towards Earth.
Did a gamma ray burst trigger the Ordovician extinction?
The Ordovician extinction — one of the “big five” in Earth’s history — occurred around 450 million years ago when the population of marine species plummeted. Evidence suggests that this occurred during an ice age and a gamma ray burst is one of several possible mechanisms that may have triggered this extinction event.