Supernova Shockwave: Distant Explosion Causes Temporary Ozone Depletion in Earth's Atmosphere
Scientists have made a mind-baffling discovery that a supernova explosion nearly 2 billion light-years away caused a temporary depletion of ozone molecules in Earth's upper atmosphere. Although the event posed no serious threat, it highlights how cosmic explosions can impact our atmosphere.
In a mind-baffling discovery, scientists have found that a supernova explosion 1.9 billion light-years away caused a temporary depletion of ozone molecules in Earth's upper atmosphere. Telescopes detected a jet of high energy photons on October 9, 2022, evidence of this extraordinary event known as a gamma-ray burst. This particular burst was described as the brightest of all time. The researchers discovered that the burst led to a measurable change in the number of ionized particles in the atmosphere, including ozone molecules that absorb harmful solar radiation.
Every trip around the sun is just a roll of the dice in this chaotic universe: “Fortunately for us, this gamma ray burst was extremely distant, making its effects more of a scientific curiosity than a threat.” https://t.co/aVtzCvNi2x
— Michael Roston (@michaelroston) November 14, 2023
Pietro Ubertini, an astronomer at the National Institute of Astrophysics in Rome, explained that the ozone was partially depleted, but the effect was only detectable for a few minutes before the ozone repaired itself. Dr. Ubertini emphasized that this event posed no serious threat to Earth, but if a supernova occurred closer to us, it could have catastrophic consequences. This groundbreaking discovery, reported in the journal Nature Communications, highlights how even distant cosmic explosions can have an impact on Earth's atmosphere. The atmosphere, in turn, can serve as a giant detector for extreme cosmic phenomena. Prior to this study, scientists were unaware that such explosions could affect the entire ionosphere, the layer of the atmosphere where ionization occurs.
Laura Hayes, a solar physicist at the European Space Agency, noted that it is uncommon for faraway cosmic phenomena to cause such significant disturbances in the atmosphere. Fortunately, in this case, the gamma-ray burst was extremely distant, making its effects more of a scientific curiosity than a threat. However, the researchers emphasized that if the burst were a million times larger, it could ionize enough ozone to weaken the protective barrier for days or even months. Despite the temporary nature of this event, it serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of cosmic events and the potential implications for Earth's atmosphere.
