We're all going to die

**Kralizec** · 01-06-2010, 23:13

I don't usually follow astronomical news, but someone else showed me this and I thought it was only fair that you should know, too

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/T_...rnova_999.html

at the end:

An interesting, if a bit scary, speculative sidelight is that if a Type Ia supernova explosion occurs within 1,000 parsecs (1 parsec = 3.26 light-years) of Earth, then the gamma radiation emitted by the supernova would fry the Earth, dumping as much gamma radiation (~100,000 ergs/square centimeter) into our planet, which is equivalent to the gamma ray input of 1,000 solar flares simultaneously.

The production of nitrous oxides in Earth's atmosphere by the supernova's gamma rays would completely destroy the ozone layer if the supernova went off within 1,000 parsecs.

Any last words can be submitted in this thread.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

**Csargo** · 01-06-2010, 23:18

Awesome, one more thing to be afraid of.

**Subotan** · 01-06-2010, 23:21

Gamma bursts? Been there, done that apocalyptic scenario. If this was common enough to be a real danger, it would have happened already.

**Ethelred Unread** · 01-07-2010, 12:50

There's only 1 star, Spica, within that envelope that could go nova, and thats 260 ly away (~847 pc) and isn't big enough to cause an extinction level event at that distance (it would have to be less than 25 ly)

Gamma Ray bursts are much rarer than supernovae, but can be fatal up to 7,000 ly, again howeverwe would have to be "right in the beam" to be affected, Phil Plait the astronomer has calculated that the odds of this happening in your lifetime are about 14,000,000,000 to 1.

Don't worry about it.

**naut** · 01-08-2010, 11:01

Originally Posted by Ethelred Unread

Phil Plait the astronomer has calculated that the odds of this happening in your lifetime are about 14,000,000,000 to 1.

Reassuring.

**Samurai Waki** · 01-18-2010, 02:15

I've already told my children, the reason why they can't have a new little brother or sister, is because I'm saving my money so that I can replace roughly 95% of my body with new age cybernetics, and titanium alloy. Gamma Ray Burst you say? a frivolous danger to be sure.