The impact of supernovae can destroy the ozone layer on planets adjacent to dead stars, which protects life from deadly ultraviolet radiation.
Using space telescopes, astronomers have studied several dozen supernova explosions and the consequences of these events, and have come to disappointing results. Explosions like this create X-rays that can strike nearby Earth-like planets and destroy much of the ozone layer, leading to mass extinctions. Express writes that such a flux of radiation can affect planets located 160 light-years from the epicenter of the explosion of a dead star.
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Scientists from the University of Illinois in the USA studied 31 supernovae using four space telescopes. Their data shows that after a supernova explosion, a powerful flux of X-ray radiation occurs when it encounters the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet, which could lead to the mass extinction of life. This is because most of the ozone layer, which protects the planet from the dangerous effects of ultraviolet radiation from its stars, has been destroyed.
According to Ian Brunton of the University of Illinois, if an Earth-like planet is located 160 light-years from the epicenter of the explosion, then the deadly effect of a supernova cannot be avoided.
“The fact is that X-rays drastically alter the chemical composition of such planets, leading to the extinction of all life. But so far earthlings have nothing to fear. We haven’t found stars near Earth that will explode in supernovae any time soon . . . in the past,” says Brunton. .
A new study suggests that after a supernova explosion, the X-ray flux interacts with the surrounding interstellar gas and increases. A few months after the explosion, this radiation could reach the closest Earth-like planets, and the lethal effect of its impact could last for several decades.
If nothing threatens the Earth right now, scientists have found evidence that supernova explosions occurred near our planet in the past, between 2 and 8 million years ago. Astronomers estimate that ancient stars exploded 65 to 500 light-years from Earth.
Scientists have found evidence of this not only in geological deposits on Earth, but also in near space. In particular, we are talking about a kind of “bubble” of hot gas surrounded by a shell of cold gas about 1000 light-years in size. This “bubble” is now the solar system.
Scientists believe that this region of space was formed by several supernova explosions about 14 million years ago. The study suggests that these eruptions could have adverse effects on Earth. While there was no evidence of any mass extinction on our planet at the time, it does support the theory that radiation from supernovae may have affected Earth in the more distant past.
The fact that deadly radiation from a supernova explosion could destroy potential life on planets or even completely prevent its emergence could be exploited to create the so-called habitable zone of our galaxy, Brunton said.
“If you have data on past supernova explosions and stars that will soon become supernovae, you can exclude planets with potential life close to these past or future events. narrow down the search for habitable planets,” says Brunton.
Previously Focus He wrote about a recent study of Tycho Brahe’s famous supernova that exploded nearly 500 years ago.
Moreover Focus He wrote about a new solar study that has led to the unraveling of one of our star’s key mysteries.
Source: Focus
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