A supernova explosion could be far more dangerous to planets than previously thought, due to its powerful X-rays. Reported by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
During a supernova explosion, its brightness increases several times and can outshine the light of the entire galaxy. This happens as a result of the gravitational collapse of ancient stars that burned all their hydrogen fuel, as well as the merger of stellar material with the participation of a white dwarf. At the same time, the planets of this star system will perish completely or, if removed from the star, will burn and be deprived of life. Planets in neighboring star systems can also take damage.
But a new study shows that a supernova can cause serious damage to planets, even in relatively distant systems. The Chandra Orbital X-ray Observatory has observed 31 supernovae and their consequences. In addition to Chandra, the scientists used data from NASA Swift and NuSTAR, as well as the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton mission.
Analysis of these observations shows that the interaction of supernovae with their environment could have deadly consequences for planets 160 light-years away.
“If an X-ray stream passes over the planet, the radiation drastically changes the chemical composition of the atmosphere,” said Ian Brunton, one of the study’s authors. “In the case of an Earth-like planet, this process can destroy most of the ozone that protects life from dangerous ultraviolet radiation from its parent star.”
At the same time, the authors note that such a danger does not threaten the Earth in the near future, due to the absence of supernova candidate stars nearby.