Breaking news! Neil deGrasse Tyson warns of dangers of exploding Betelgeuse.
At the heart of the constellation Orion, one of the
most recognizable in the night sky, lies Betelgeuse , a red giant star that is
in the final stages of its life. At 1,400 times the size of our Sun, this dying
star is living out its final days after a short-lived existence of just a few
million years.
The End is Near
According to renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse
Tyson , the end of Betelgeuse is near, and it may even have already happened.
This star is located 643 light-years away from Earth, meaning that if it were
to explode right now, we wouldn't find out about it for another 643 years.
However, if the explosion happened more than 600 years ago, we would be about
to receive the signal of its explosion and the associated gamma-ray burst.
A Cosmic Explosion
At the moment of Betelgeuse's collapse, a vast amount of matter will be released in a short period of time, equivalent to the mass of the Sun in 10,000 years. Betelgeuse will explode and disintegrate in a matter of milliseconds, destroying any planets in its system and extending its devastating reach to several light years, destroying atmospheres and life on them.
Gamma Rays: A Lethal Danger
The powerful gamma rays emitted by the explosion of a supernova like Betelgeuse can extend thousands of light years. These emissions are one of the most powerful explosions in the universe, capable of releasing so much energy that they can even outshine the light of an entire galaxy.
What Would Happen If The Sun Exploded?
Suppose our own Sun were to explode as a supernova right now. The solar system would be bombarded for weeks with massive bursts of gamma rays, material, and dust, which would wipe out Earth and all the planets, completely destroying them. However, the Sun does not have enough mass to explode in a supernova, and its death 5 billion years from now will simply cause it to expand and devour the inner planets, including Mercury, Venus, and even Earth.
Witnessing a Supernova: A Unique Event
Most stars in our galaxy have less mass than the Sun, so witnessing a supernova in our lifetime is a special and unique event. Supernovas are considered seeds of destruction and life, as they are the engines of creation. In their explosions, nuclear fusion processes take place that cause the capture of protons and the creation of many elements such as silicon, iron, potassium, oxygen, nickel and others necessary for the formation of new planets and also complex life.
However, these explosions can also devastate vast galactic regions, destroying the DNA of living beings and even rendering the technology of other civilizations useless.
The Effects of a Supernova on Earth
Types of Supernovae
The explosion mechanism of a supernova can be two ways:
Type Ib, Ic and II Supernovae : The most common is the
explosion of a star due to the gravitational collapse of its core.
Type Ia Supernovae : Less common, it corresponds to a
thermonuclear explosion due to a white dwarf that accumulates too much mass
from its companion and explodes.
Both types of supernovae have the same devastating effects and create more complex elements.
A Shining Light in the Sky
When a star explodes, we might imagine it to be similar to explosions on Earth, but in reality it is nothing like that. A supernova would resemble a volcanic eruption, causing a cosmic tsunami. The inhabitants of other planets would see a glowing light illuminate the sky for a month, gradually turning into a fascinating cloud.
However, hot gas and radiation are pouring out of these clouds at 10,000 kilometers per second, expanding uncontrollably and devouring stellar regions and planets within a radius of 10 light years. This hot gas continues to expand for tens of thousands of years and can reach a diameter of dozens of light years.
The Effects at Different Distances
The effects of a supernova on Earth would depend on
the distance at which it occurs:
Thousands of Light Years Away
If the supernova is thousands of light years away or more, its effects would not be felt on our planet, as the radiation would be scattered into interstellar space. Most of the supernovae we have witnessed in history were at this distance, and for a long time we believed that they corresponded to the birth of stars, since these events shined so much brighter than the moon for weeks. We could not imagine that the death of a star would be such a beautiful sight in the sky.
600 Light Years Away
If a star like Betelgeuse, 600 light-years away, were to explode, we wouldn't notice the effects either. Any gamma radiation that might reach us would be stopped by the Sun's magnetic shield, which forms a protective bubble around the solar system.
300 Light Years Away
Even if the supernova is 300 light years away, we still wouldn't notice its effects. It would be an explosion that occurs every few million years and would look like a very bright light in the sky, even during the day.
Past Effects
We know that several supernovae have affected us in the past 10 million years because of the traces they left behind in rocks and ocean sediments, such as radioactive isotopes of iron. In the past, supernovae formed a bubble around what is now the solar system and nearby stars, known as the “local bubble,” up to 300 light-years across. These explosions enriched the interstellar medium, making it a “stellar nursery” zone, allowing the Sun, planets, and other stars to form.
A cosmic ray shower could affect ions in our atmosphere, contributing to cloud formation, which could increase or decrease cloud cover.
150 Light Years Away
If a supernova occurs 150 light-years away, we would start to notice some of its effects. Stars have extremely powerful magnetic fields, and when they explode, they unleash a cosmic tsunami of enormous amounts of energy that expands outward. They are like giant particle colliders that accelerate charged particles to nearly the speed of light.
100-150 Light Years Away
If the supernova occurs at a distance of 100 to 150 light years from Earth, it could affect the ions in our atmosphere that contribute to cloud formation, thus changing the climate and having harmful effects. The radiation could also cause cancer in many people during the time of the supernova. We would not be able to fly in space, as astronauts would not be able to survive in space without the protection of the Earth's atmosphere from radiation waves. Even so, at this distance, it would not be enough to cause a mass extinction.
50 Light Years or Less
If the supernova is 50 light years or less from Earth, the situation becomes really serious. It could completely change the Earth's climate and cause extinctions due to deadly radiation. High-energy photons would reach Earth, and the radiation from the supernova would destroy oxygen and nitrogen molecules, creating nitrogen oxide in the process. This would disrupt the natural balance of the atmosphere and destroy the ozone layer in several areas, exposing the Earth to ultraviolet radiation.
Going outside would be deadly, and we would have to protect ourselves with special clothing and avoid polluted air, needing air purifiers to filter out nitrogen oxide. Even with these measures, cancer cases would increase alarmingly.
In the ocean and in many forests, the situation would not be any better, as radiation would wipe out numerous species of animals. In addition, the energetic radiation from the supernova would knock electrons out of electrically charged atomic nuclei, forming giant clouds with enormous electrical storms that would reflect sunlight – the closest thing to the Apocalypse.
In the worst case, it could trigger an ice age, as happened 2.5 million years ago and is thought to have been caused by a supernova. Even the late Devonian extinction 350 million years ago was possibly triggered by a supernova 60 light years away from Earth. A supernova at this distance could lead to the extinction of billions of lives.
25 Light Years or Less
If the supernova is 25 light years or less from Earth, we would be lost, as we would be within its death radius, meaning a mass extinction would occur. The ozone layer would be almost completely eliminated, with unprecedented climate change destroying ecosystems and the natural balance of the Earth. Life would disappear from the land and sea in the following weeks and several months, and forest fires would ravage the entire planet.
Humanity would have to hunker down in bunkers for years, but as soon as they tried to go out and look for food, they would find a world devastated by radiation. However, after all this, the Earth would recover, and life would surely reappear. It is possible that some form of microscopic or multicellular life would continue to evolve towards intelligence in several million years, and we would have an intelligent “second generation” species that, at some point, could encounter the remains of an ancient advanced civilization that called itself “humans.” Its extinction caused other species to evolve, and perhaps this time they can do it better than us.
Hypernovae: Even More Violent Explosions
There is another event even more powerful than a
supernova: hypernovae. These are considered the most violent explosions in the
universe and are produced by the collapse of a very massive star, giving rise
to a black hole in the process. In just a few seconds, they emit more energy
than the Sun in its almost 5 billion years of life, and powerful jets of gamma
rays.
Hypernovae are incredibly rare, but any hypernova occurring within a thousand light years would trigger a mass extinction on Earth. So we should be concerned about the effects of a supernova or hypernova on the great cosmic vastness.
The Eternal Cycle of Destruction and Renewal
In millions of star factories across the galaxy, new stars are being born for the first time, while in the deepest reaches of the cosmos, massive stars are ejecting layers of gas and dust, creating complex elements. This eternal cycle of destruction and renewal is what keeps the great cosmic machine moving, never stopping.
If we expand across the galaxy, we will have a better
chance of surviving these and other catastrophic events. Our destiny is to
return to the stars and learn more about the greater cosmos of which we are a
part.
Conclusion
The explosion of a star like Betelgeuse, while an exciting and fascinating event, can also be a daunting reminder of the dangers lurking in the vast universe. While we enjoy the cosmic spectacle, we must be prepared to deal with the potentially devastating consequences of a near-Earth supernova.
At the same time, these explosions are the seeds of life, the factories that create the elements necessary for the formation of new planets and the evolution of more complex life forms. The eternal cycle of destruction and renewal is what keeps the great cosmic machinery in motion, and reminds us that we are part of a universe in constant change and evolution.
Perhaps one day, when we have expanded across the
galaxy, we will be able to witness these cosmic events without fear, safe in
the knowledge that our civilization will be safe from their most devastating
effects. Until then, we must continue to learn and explore, in the hope that
our destiny lies among the stars.
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