A Supernova Exploded Dangerously Close to Earth 2.5 Million Years Ago

Universe Today ^ | 2 Oct, 2002 | EVAN GOUGH

[MtnClimber]

In its 4.5 billion year history, Earth has had to run the gauntlet. Numerous catastrophes have imperilled the planet, from massive impacts, to volcanic conflagrations, to frigid episodes of snowball Earth. Yet life persists.

Among all of the hazards that threaten a planet, the most potentially calamitous might be a nearby star exploding as a supernova.

Whan a massive enough star reaches the end of its life, it explodes as a supernova. The hyper-energetic explosion can light up the sky for months, turning night into day for any planets close enough. If a planet is too close, it will be sterilized, even destroyed. As the star goes through its death throes, it produces certain chemical elements which are spread out into space.

For years, researchers have puzzled over evidence that a supernova exploded somewhere in Earth’s vicinity a couple million years ago. The evidence is a concentration of 60Fe, an isotope of iron produced by supernovae, found around the Earth.

Now, a new study presents additional evidence of a supernova explosion near Earth 2.5 million years ago. This time, its a concentration of 53Mn, another radioisotope produced by supernovae.

[minnesota_bound]

It trigger this. Human species were then born soon afterward

[AppyPappy]

“A Supernova Exploded Dangerously Close to Earth 2.5 Million Years Ago”

I thought it was a car backfiring

[minnesota_bound]

In its 4.5 billion year history, Earth has had to run the gauntlet. Numerous catastrophes have imperiled the planet, from plastic bags, to gas powered cars, to nuclear power plants. Yet life persists.

[MtnClimber]

Our sun and planets oscillate back and forth through the densest part of the galactic plane as we spin around the galaxy. Sort of like a horse on a merry go round. The solar system passes through the dense center of the galactic plane about once every 30 million years which corresponds to the ages of the largest impact craters on earth and also mass extinction events as shown on the graph. We seem to have just gotten through the galactic plane with no major impacts, but the timing of this supernova would have been roughly when the sun and earth were passing through the center of the galactic plane.

Graph from https://astronomy.com/magazine/2019/07/dark-matters--shadowy-effect--on-earth

[MtnClimber]

Another graph comparing impacts and mass extinction timelines.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks MtnClimber! Have ping list, will ping later.

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/iron60/index

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks MtnClimber.

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The rest of the Iron-60 keyword, chrono:

• Solar System is Traveling through Cloud of Supernova Debris: Study [2020]
• Do you like Earth's solid surface and life-inclined climate? Thank your lucky (massive) star [2019]
• Researchers consider whether supernovae killed off large ocean animals at dawn of Pleistocene [2018]
• Our Solar System Was Born in the Bubble Created by the Death of a Giant Star, Say Scientists [2018]
• Earth Barraged By Supernovae Millions Of Years Ago, Debris Found On Moon [2017]
• Did a supernova two million years ago brighten the night sky and give our ancestors cancer? [2016]
• Supernovae showered Earth with radioactive debris [2016]
• Violent Past: Young sun withstood a supernova blast [2013]
• Hubble boffins: Incredibly old supernova could explain EVERYTHING [2013]
• Researcher points to Sun as likely source of eighth-century 'Charlemagne event' [2012]
• Ancient supernovae may be recorded in Antarctic ice [2009]
• Creating Elements after BB: Where did the Supernova's Go?(Vanity) [2007]
• Supernova debris found on Earth [2004]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day 05-23-04 [2004]
• Theory Proposes New View of Sun and Earth's Creation [2004]
• Did a gamma-ray burst devastate life on Earth? [2003]
• How star blasts forged mankind [2002]
• Supernova "Smoking Gun" Linked To Mass Extinctions [2002]

[ought-six]

“Did you get any pictures?? /s”

Nah, the bright light over-exposed the film. :)

[gleeaikin]

2.5 M sounds about right for Homo erectus if I remember right.

[SunkenCiv]

I think Erectus was only about 1.5 meters. /rimshot

[SunkenCiv]

Ah, here’s the other relevant sidebars keyword:

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/charlemagneevent/index

[SunkenCiv]

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The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes: Flood, Fire, and Famine in the History of Civilization by Richard Firestone, Allen West, and Simon Warwick-Smith

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