What would happen if a gamma-ray burst hit Earth?
With the gamma-rays beamed directly at Earth, the radiation would destroy a significant portion of our atmosphere, specifically the ozone layer. The photons streaming from the burst would cause chemical reactions leading to photochemical smog. This would further deplete our protection from cosmic rays.
What would happen if a gamma-ray burst hit the sun?
So, if a gamma ray burst created somewhere nearby in our galaxy hits the Sun, we would not care much about what happened to it, because humanity would most probably die. But in general not much would happen: the gammas would be absorbed by the Sun heating it somewhat and that’s the end of the story.
What do gamma-ray bursts do?
Gamma-ray bursts are the strongest and brightest explosions in the universe, thought to be generated during the formation of black holes. Though they last mere seconds, gamma-ray bursts produce as much energy as the sun will emit during its entire 10-billion-year existence.
What do gamma-ray bursts leave behind?
Cosmic gamma-ray factories We’re not exactly sure what causes GRBs out in space, but it’s thought that the long ones are produced when the largest stars in our universe die off in supernova explosions, leaving behind neutron stars or black holes.
Can a gamma-ray burst destroy a black hole?
Gamma radiation is still in the light spectrum, and thus its speed is in fact not bigger than the speed of light. so as the other answer already said, the black hole would simply absorb the radiation and nothing would happen.
Will a gamma-ray hit Earth?
Earth’s atmosphere is very effective at absorbing high energy electromagnetic radiation such as x-rays and gamma rays, so these types of radiation would not reach any dangerous levels at the surface during the burst event itself.
Will a gamma ray hit Earth?
Can a gamma ray burst destroy a black hole?
What is the most powerful event in the universe?
gamma-ray bursts
In gamma-ray astronomy, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies. They are the brightest and most energetic electromagnetic events known to occur in the universe. Bursts can last from ten milliseconds to several hours.
What is a gamma-ray burst (GRB)?
We do know that gamma-ray bursts are the most energetic events to occur in the Universe! In order to understand what a gamma-ray burst (or GRB) is, you must first realize that gamma-rays are a type of light. In fact, gamma-rays are the most energetic form of light known. Light is a form of energy called electromagnetic radiation.
What is the 500th gamma-ray burst NASA?
NASA’s Swift Catches 500th Gamma-ray Burst. Swift primarily studies gamma-ray bursts, the biggest and most mysterious explosions in the cosmos. On April 13, Swift’s “burst-o-meter” cataloged its 500th GRB.
What is the distribution of gamma-ray bursts detected by BATSE?
Positions on the sky of all gamma-ray bursts detected during the BATSE mission. The distribution is isotropic, with no concentration towards the plane of the Milky Way, which runs horizontally through the center of the image.
Can we see gamma-ray bursts from space?
Astronomers using NASA’s Swift satellite and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope are seeing frequent blasts from a stellar remnant 30,000 light-years away. Astronomers have, for the first time, identified gas molecules in the host galaxy of a gamma-ray burst.