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Space Pinwheel Could Kill Us All With Gamma Rays
In what can only be described as a storyline that sounds more appropriate in a science fiction film than a news story, scientists are reporting that a "pinwheel" in outer space, 8,000 light years away, could potentially kill us all with a burst of gamma ray radiation.The spiral appearance is actually formed by two orbiting stars pulling each other apart slowly, contributing solar gasses in a twisting form between them. It just so happens that this pinwheel's center is pointing almost directly at us and, when when the stars go supernova (exploding at the end of their life), the gamma ray energy they expel could be focused by the pinwheel and directed at us.
The stars are roughly 8,000 light years away, which is a massive distance. But, despite that distance, if we were to be struck by the resulting gamma radiation, it could burn off part of our atmosphere and cause drastic changes to our climate and way of life. Most frightening of all is that we'd have absolutely no warning whatsoever since the gamma rays travel at the speed of light.
But, don't freak out just yet. Scientists aren't sure that the gamma ray burst would even happen and, if it did, a direct hit on Earth is a long-shot at best.
From USA Today
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Comments
3
Subscribe to commentscaseyMar 11th 2008 5:08PM
haha think about it...
8000 light years away, travels at the speed of light.
if it were to actually happen it would take 8000 years to affect us, and im pretty sure that we will have other things to worry about over the next 8000 years.
MikeMar 11th 2008 1:18PM
If the energy travels at the speed of light, and it's 8000 light years away, doesn't that mean it would take 8000 years to get here? I'm not so sure anyone will still be here anyways.
bobMar 11th 2008 3:26PM
we're not seeing the spiral as it is right now, we're seeing it as it was 8,000 years ago. since the gamma rays travel at the speed of light, the stars could have turned into supernovae for example 7,950 years ago, meaning that it would only be 50 years until the gamma rays came near us. so, it could happen litterally at any time.