Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. who specializes in science, space, physics, astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, quantum mechanics and technology. Rob's articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space and ZME Science.
Scientists have determined the possible effects of a neutron star collision happening near Earth, finding that these so-called kilonovas could be real killers that would doom humanity. But don't worry, the collision would have to be really close to wreak havoc on our world. Nonetheless, here's what would probably go down.
Further, neutron star mergers set the very fabric of space "ringing" with ripples called gravitational waves, which can be detected here on Earth — even after traveling across billions of light years. A killer-nova?Neutron star merger gamma rays are arguably the most obviously threatening aspect of these events. That's because this type of radiation carries enough energy to strip electrons from atoms, a process called ionization. And these ionizing blasts of radiation could easily destroy the Earth's ozone layer, resulting in our planet receiving lethal doses of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
When the jets of gamma rays hit gas and dust around stars, called the interstellar medium, this creates powerful X-ray emissions called the X-ray afterglow. Such X-ray emission lives longer than gamma-ray emissions and could also ionize the ozone layer, the team says. This, therefore, is arguably more lethal. Earth would need to be quite close to this afterglow before we have to be concerned about our fate, however — within a distance of 16.3 light years to be exact.
"Neutron star mergers are extremely rare but quite powerful, and this, combined with the relatively small range of lethality, means an extinction caused by a binary neutron star merger should not be a concern of the people on Earth," Perkins assured.
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