A gamma ray burst caused changes on Earth

Scientists claim that a massive gamma-ray burst, caused by the explosion of a star about two billion light-years away, was so powerful that it changed Earth’s atmosphere. Land.

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Gamma rays are electromagnetic waves that have the shortest wavelength and the greatest amount of energy. On Earth, it comes from lightning, nuclear explosions, and radioactive decay. In space, they are thought to arise from the explosion of stars, such as a supernova, or from the collision of two dense neutron stars.

This gamma-ray burst came from two billion light-years away, meaning it happened two billion years ago.

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Published in the magazine nature communications, A new research paper revealed that the explosion occurred in October 2022 and caused a major disturbance in a layer of the Earth’s atmosphere called the ionosphere.

a Ionosphere It is located at an altitude ranging between 50 and 950 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. “This was probably the brightest gamma-ray burst we have ever detected,” he said. Mirco Piersanti, University of L’Aquila, Italythe lead author of the article, said in a press release.

The energy blast, which lasted just over 13 seconds, is considered a once-in-10,000-years event. The new research shows that the Earth’s ionosphere was disturbed for several hours by the explosion.

Weather changes

Hey GRB 221009A It came from two billion light-years away, but still had a noticeable effect on the ionosphere.

“This disturbance affected the lower layers of the Earth’s ionosphere, which is located only tens of kilometers above the surface of our planet, leaving a mark similar to a large solar flare,” he said. Laura Hayes, research associate and solar physicist at the European Space Agency.

Mass extinctions on Earth

GRB 221009A may not have been the first time gamma rays from a supernova have struck Earth. “There has been a great deal of controversy about the potential consequences of a gamma-ray burst in our galaxy,” Piersanti said.

This new research reinforces the idea of ​​a supernova milky way It can affect the ionosphere and even damage the ozone layer, which protects us from the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays.

Mass extinctions in Earth’s history may have been caused by something similar to, but much more powerful than, GRB 221009A.