♦ nivek ♦ Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Ancient sea mud records supernova blast * 04 November 2007 * NewScientist.com news service It is the oldest telescope in the world - and it lies at the bottom of the ocean. Ancient sea floor sediments have revealed that a supernova exploded during the Pliocene era and may have caused a minor extinction event on Earth. Levels of radioactive iron-60 suggest the supernova was between 60 and 300 light years away, says Brian Fields of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "It didn't hit us or we wouldn't be here." Radiation from the blast could have weakened Earth's atmosphere, he says, exposing organisms to the sun's ultraviolet radiation. This coincides with an extinction peak, but Fields says there is no direct evidence of a link. The work was reported at a meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver, Colorado, this week. Related Articles * The trouble with supernovae * http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19626272.100 * 25 October 2007 * Looking for the echoes of a supernova * http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19426021.200 * 5 May 2007 * Earth escapes gamma-ray-burst disaster * http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19025483.800 * 19 April 2006 From issue 2628 of New Scientist magazine, 04 November 2007, page 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Ancient sea mud records supernova blast * 04 November 2007 * NewScientist.com news service It is the oldest telescope in the world - and it lies at the bottom of the ocean. Ancient sea floor sediments have revealed that a supernova exploded during the Pliocene era and may have caused a minor extinction event on Earth. Levels of radioactive iron-60 suggest the supernova was between 60 and 300 light years away, says Brian Fields of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "It didn't hit us or we wouldn't be here." Radiation from the blast could have weakened Earth's atmosphere, he says, exposing organisms to the sun's ultraviolet radiation. This coincides with an extinction peak, but Fields says there is no direct evidence of a link. The work was reported at a meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver, Colorado, this week. Skip N Church, thanks for sharing this article. Cosmology is interesting, although I don't understand it that well. I suppose there isn't a star this close to us now, that could turn into a supernova? It would be interesting to know the effects this has had on the other planets in our solar system, that it would have reached before us. These things let us know just how vulnerable we can be to events that can actually happen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marty Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 It would be interesting to know the effects this has had on the other planets in our solar system, that it would have reached before us. These things let us know just how vulnerable we can be to events that can actually happen... Hmm, interesting thought...maybe this is what happened to Mars' atmosphere and water? Weakened it enough or it's gravity was not strong enough to hold on to it all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ nivek ♦ Posted November 24, 2007 Author Share Posted November 24, 2007 Folks, I enjoy to pass these newsies along. Is cool to read in part research that may eventually lead to more understanding of the universe around us, or help learn of the Earth we're on. That folks can take *evidence* and extrapolate what may have happened via scientific research facinates hellouta this ole_fatman.. kL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Harley Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 NewSci is always good for a laugh... I've read it since my early teens... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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