However, it's possible that high-energy X-rays and gamma-rays from more distant supernovas could interact with Earth's atmosphere and damage the ozone layer, which would make it easier for dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun to get through.Ī close supernova is unlikely although one of the most famous red giant stars, Betelgeuse, is on the cusp of going supernova, it's nearly 650 light-years distant, meaning it is unlikely to affect our solar system. Astronomers have calculated that the kill zone extends 40 or 50 light-years from a supernova's blast, and no known stars within that proximity to Earth are likely to blow anytime soon. If a star dies in a massive explosion called a supernova, anything within a specific "kill zone" will be wiped out by intense waves of radiation. Optical: NASA/STScI Millimeter: ESO/NAOJ/NRAO/ALMA)Īnother terror from space is the potential for a catastrophic supernova. (Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/PSU/K.Frank et al. SN 1987A was the brightest supernova seen in over 400 years, and relatively close. The chance of such a huge solar storm was rated at between 1.6% and 12% per decade. If a Carrington-magnitude storm were to occur now, it would cause an " internet apocalypse" - an outage that could last months, Live Science previously reported. The most powerful geomagnetic storm in modern history, known as the Carrington Event, occurred in 1859, before the modern age of technology. If the CME is aimed at Earth we get geomagnetic storms a few days later, which have the potential to disrupt communications and power grids.
Another scenario is a coronal mass ejection (CME), a slow-burner that sends magnetized particles into space. The result can be blackouts in navigation and communications signals. However, occasionally, magnetic contortions inside our star realign and cause a solar flare, a sudden flash of light that hurls incredible amounts of X-rays and energy in all directions that travels at the speed of light. Most of the time, the planet's magnetic field deflects these solar attacks. (Image credit: NASA/SDO)Įarth is constantly bombarded by high-energy particles from the sun.
A solar flare captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory in extreme ultraviolet light.
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