How do gamma-ray bursts affect Earth?
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.
Can a star collide with Sun?
While stellar collisions may occur very frequently in certain parts of the galaxy, the likelihood of a collision involving the Sun is very small. A probability calculation predicts the rate of stellar collisions involving the Sun is 1 in 1028 years. For comparison, the age of the universe is of the order 1010 years.
What would happen if you were near a gamma-ray burst?
GRBs, as they’re called, are powerful events that release huge amounts of gamma rays. These are among the most deadly radiation known. If a person happened to be near a gamma-ray producing object, they’d be fried in an instant. Certainly, a gamma-ray burst could affect life’s DNA, causing genetic damage long after the burst is over.
Did a gamma ray burst hit Earth in the 8th century?
A gamma ray burst, the most powerful explosion known in the Universe, may have hit the Earth in the 8th Century.
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.
What would happen if the sun burst into the atmosphere?
The photons streaming from the burst would cause chemical reactions leading to photochemical smog. This would further deplete our protection from cosmic rays. 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.