In before that "give me a nice fat grant please" idiocy begins. Extra to the APoD list.
In the late eighth century, Earth was hit by a mystery blast of cosmic rays, according to a Japanese study that found a relic of the powerful event in cedar trees. Analysis of two ancient trees found a surge in carbon-14 -- a carbon isotope that derives from cosmic radiation -- which occurred just in AD 774 and AD 775, the team report in the journal Nature on Sunday. Earth is battered by protons and other sub-atomic particles which are blasted across space by high-energy sources. The particles collide with the stratosphere and react with nitrogen to create carbon-14, which is then absorbed into the biosphere. A team led by Fusa Miyake of Nagoya University found that levels of carbon-14 in the two cedars were about 1.2% higher in 774 and 775 compared to other years... the cosmic whack of 774-775 cannot be attributed to the Schwabe cycle of the time -- and it is far bigger than any known flare from the Sun. The other possibility is a supernova, or a star that explodes at the end of its life in a welter of gamma radiation. They intend to fine-tune the search for the source by looking at telltale traces of beryllium and nitrate isotopes. They also plan a wider search of historical documents to see if, 1,237 years ago, anyone noted a strange flare in the sky. [ Ancient cedar trees hold 8th-century mystery, AFP ]
Credit: Wikimedia
