A study by the National Institute of Astrophysics in Rome revealed the consequences that a supernova explosion brought to our planet. In question, the temporary damage to the Earth’s ozone layer without any human intervention.
The explosion in question took place 1.9 billion light years from Earth and still had worrying consequences. If the explosion had happened closer, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
This event demonstrates the fragility of our planet
The explosion we are now discussing took place in October 2022. On that occasion, telescopes captured a high-energy jet from this explosion, considered the brightest ever.
However, only now have scientists been able to assess the damage that the explosion of this supernova had on Earth. According to Pietro Ubertini “the ozone was partially depleted – it was temporarily destroyed”.
The damage observed by this scientist results from the impact of gamma rays resulting from this explosion for just a few minutes. Therefore, Ubertini argues that if the explosion happened closer to Earth, the consequences could be devastating.
Simulations of supernova explosions within the Milky Way support this scientist’s concerns if this explosion had occurred closer to us. According to these simulations, the gamma rays resulting from such an explosion could destroy the stratospheric ozone layer for several years.
The consequence of such an event would lead to the widespread extinction of several species of animals and plants on Earth. This is not to mention the harm it would also bring to humans.
This further demonstrates the importance that the ozone layer has for life on Earth. This serves as a shield for solar radiation and its disappearance will be fatal for life on the planet.
Fortunately, scientists say that cosmic events like this supernova explosion are not frequent. The damage caused by the aforementioned event no longer persists and serves as a scientific curiosity, as there is nothing we can do to prevent it.
