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talmans
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If the exploding star that caused the gamma ray burst on Wednesday had occurred as close to us as Alpha Centauri what would be the effect on Earth?
DaveC426913 said:One could consider that, what with all the speculation of life distributed throughout the universe, there's likely now a big, dead wasteland out there, untold light years in radius.
We are now a little bit more alone.
Saladsamurai said:Thanks Dave. As depressed as I was before I logged on tonight you have somehow managed to worsen it.
Wikipedia said:There is a one in a million chance that there could be a gamma ray burst as near as the Earth's closest star, Alpha Centauri, in the lifetime of the Earth. Such a burst, at 4.3 lightyears distant, would effectively incinerate the Earth.
DaveC426913 said:We are now a little bit more alone.
xCross said:Star half way across the known universe exploded when existence was half its current age
had done that.. it's from DailyTech!Laura1013 said:xCross, could you cite your source when quoting articles? (It's considered plagarism if you don't.) I assume that was from CNN, but I'm not sure.
xCross said:had done that.. it's from DailyTech!
Gamma Ray bursts in the Milky Way are caused by the collapse of massive stars, known as supernovas, or the collision of two neutron stars. This results in a highly energetic explosion that emits intense bursts of gamma rays.
The duration of Gamma Ray bursts in the Milky Way can range from a few milliseconds to several minutes. However, the afterglow of the burst can continue for days to weeks.
Yes, Gamma Ray bursts in the Milky Way can potentially be harmful to Earth. However, the likelihood of a Gamma Ray burst occurring close enough to Earth to cause significant damage is low. The Earth's atmosphere also provides some protection from these high-energy particles.
Scientists use a variety of instruments, such as satellites and ground-based telescopes, to detect Gamma Ray bursts. These instruments detect the high-energy gamma rays and other electromagnetic radiation emitted by the burst.
Studying Gamma Ray bursts in the Milky Way can provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of the universe. It can also help us better understand the physics of extreme events, such as supernovas and neutron star collisions. Additionally, studying these bursts can provide clues about the composition and properties of the objects and environments where they originate.