- #1
Simfish
Gold Member
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-Earth_supernova
So we know that many people are putting hard constraints on the galactic habitability zone based on the presence of nearby supernova/gamma ray bursts. But if they *only* affect the ozone layer, then I doubt that it's as hard of a constraint as many people think it is.
For one thing - there is practically no ozone layer around the planets of red dwarfs (and possibly even low-mass K-stars like Epsilon Eridani and Alpha Centauri B - IMHO, K-stars offer the best prospects for life on other planets). Would a nearby supernova really do so much damage to planets around those stars?
For another thing, would a supernova really cause more damage than, say, the K/T extinction event 65 million years ago?
And then for a third point - is it really going to cause significant amounts of damage to marine life? Much of it is shielded from UV rays by layers of ocean water.
Then maybe Is it possible to survive through a gamma ray burst by geoengineering its impact out? is relevant for complex life too (although this response might be imperfect for now)
So we know that many people are putting hard constraints on the galactic habitability zone based on the presence of nearby supernova/gamma ray bursts. But if they *only* affect the ozone layer, then I doubt that it's as hard of a constraint as many people think it is.
For one thing - there is practically no ozone layer around the planets of red dwarfs (and possibly even low-mass K-stars like Epsilon Eridani and Alpha Centauri B - IMHO, K-stars offer the best prospects for life on other planets). Would a nearby supernova really do so much damage to planets around those stars?
For another thing, would a supernova really cause more damage than, say, the K/T extinction event 65 million years ago?
And then for a third point - is it really going to cause significant amounts of damage to marine life? Much of it is shielded from UV rays by layers of ocean water.
Then maybe Is it possible to survive through a gamma ray burst by geoengineering its impact out? is relevant for complex life too (although this response might be imperfect for now)