The Dangers of Powerful Kilonovae to Our Planet: What You Need to Know
Dangers of Kilonovae
Once thought to be relatively harmless to Earth, new research suggests this may not be the case. The danger lies in the fact that if a kilonovae is close enough to Earth, the aforementioned rays could pose a serious threat to our planet.
According to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal, researchers have found that X-rays from a kilonova could only harm Earth if they occurred within 16 light-years of our planet. Similarly, within 13 light-years of our planet, gamma rays could also pose a danger. The most significant threat comes in the form of cosmic rays, which could pose a danger up to 40 light-years away.
This threat is significant – cosmic rays have the potential to vaporize our atmosphere and destroy almost all life on Earth.
Kilonovae and Earth’s Safety
Haille Perkins, a scientist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, revealed that the radiation from a neutron star merger within around 36 light-years of Earth could cause an extinction-level event. The potential danger has been assessed through computer simulations carried out to model the effects of kilonovae on Earth.
Thankfully, there is no kilonova even remotely close to Earth, so at present, they do not pose any immediate dangers to our planet.
Rarity of Neutron Star Mergers
While the researchers have delved into the dangers of kilonovae, it’s important to note that these cosmic events are extremely rare. One kilonova that the researchers studied, known as GW170817, was detected in 2017 and is approximately 130 million light-years away.
Perkins acknowledged that while neutron star mergers are powerful, they are rare and, therefore, should not be a major concern for Earth’s inhabitants. There are several other more common events such as solar flares, asteroid impacts, and supernova explosions that have a better chance of being harmful. For instance, the asteroid impact that led to the extinction of dinosaurs is one such devastating example.