May 282013
 

Earth soon to be overrun by gamma-powered Hulks.

WR 104 is about 8,000 light years away and could go supernova anytime within the next 500,000 years or so… including maybe tomorrow. The star appears to be oriented so that it is pole-on to Earth (i.e. it’s north [or south?] pole is pointed right at us), and if that’s the case, when it goes FOOOM  it is expected that a powerful gamma ray “beam” will be emitted from the poles. If such a beam strikes Earth, it probably won’t penetrate to the ground, but it will trash the ozone layer, and cause nitrogen and oxygen in the higher atmosphere to create exciting new chemicals like nitric oxide. Yay, acid rain!

Since gamma rays are simply high-energy photons, the gamma rays will get to Earth at the same time we see WR 104 explode. In other words, no warning.

 Posted by at 9:39 am