Most people, when asked about the greatest threat to human existence, would probably think about nuclear war, global warming, or a large-scale pandemic. But assuming we got rid of these problems, would we be safe? Life on our blue planet seems safe until we know what is hiding in the depths of space. Below you will find space cataclysms, which are included in the list of possible threats, ready to greatly harm humanity or destroy it for good. Happy reading!
High energy solar flare
Our sun is not such a peaceful star as they used to think. It creates powerful magnetic fields that form impressive sunspots many times the size of Earth. It can also spew out a stream of particles and radiation - the solar wind. Restrained by the Earth's magnetic field, this wind creates a beautiful aurora. But when it gets more powerful, it can interfere with radio communications or cause power outages.
The most powerful magnetic solar storm on Earth was in 1859. This incident at Carrington caused huge interference in relatively small-scale electronic equipment. Such events may have occurred in the past.
But it was only in recent years that we have become completely dependent on electronic equipment. The truth is that we could be seriously hurt if we underestimate the danger of a possible Carrington or even more powerful event. While a solar flare cannot destroy humanity, it will present problems. We cannot imagine our life without electricity, heating, air conditioning, GPS and the Internet.
Falling asteroid
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Basically, we are well aware of how dangerous asteroids can be - after all, one of them marked the beginning of the end of dinosaurs. Recent research suggests we need to worry: these large space rocks could pose a serious threat to us.
Today we are only at the beginning of the path of research and development of systems that will protect us from small asteroids. But against larger and rarer space guests, we are completely helpless. While they may not necessarily destroy the Earth or render it uninhabitable, they can destroy humanity by causing massive tsunamis, fires, and other natural disasters.
Expansion of the sun
If all previous cosmic hazards occur by a roll of the dice, with a certain probability, we know for sure that our sun will "commit suicide" in 7.72 billion years. By this time, it will spit out its outer atmosphere and form a planetary nebula, turning into the remnant of a star - a "white dwarf".
But humanity is not destined to experience these last stages. As the sun ages, it will get colder and larger. It will one day become a giant star that is large enough to reach Venus. At this point, the Earth may be safe, but the sun will create a powerful solar wind that slows the Earth down. In 7.59 billion years, our planet will simply melt into the atmosphere of our exorbitantly bloated star.
Gamma-ray burst nearby
Extremely powerful bursts of energy - gamma ray bursts - can be caused by a binary system of stars (when two stars revolve around a common center) and supernovae (exploding stars). These bursts of energy are extremely powerful because they concentrate their energy into a narrow beam that lasts no longer than a few seconds or minutes. As a result, radiation from one such burst can damage and destroy our ozone layer, leaving life vulnerable to the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Astronomers have discovered a star system - WR 104 - that could accommodate such an event. WR 104 is 5,200 to 7,500 light years away, far enough away for us to stay safe. And we can only guess when such a surge will occur. Fortunately, there is a possibility that the energy beam will not hit us.
Supernovae nearby
Supernova explosions, which occur when a star reaches the end of its life, happen on average once or twice every 100 years in our Milky Way. Most likely, they are born closer to the dense center of the Milky Way, and we are two-thirds of the way from the center - not so bad.
Can we expect a supernova outbreak nearby in the near future? The star Betelgeuse, a red supergiant approaching the end of its life, in the constellation Orion is only 460-650 light years away. It could go supernova now or in the next million years. Fortunately, astronomers have calculated that a supernova must be at least 50 light years away in order to damage our ozone layer. Therefore, this particular supernova should not create cause for concern.
Moving stars
Meanwhile, a wandering star flying through the Milky Way could get so close to our sun that it interacts with the dense "Oort cloud" at the edge of our solar system, which contains many comets. This can lead to a rain of comets, which rushes towards the Earth. Another roll of the dice.
The sun also moves through the Milky Way, passing through more or less dense patches of interstellar gas. We are currently in a less dense bubble created by a supernova. The sun's wind and solar magnetic field form a bubble-shaped region that surrounds our solar system - the heliosphere - which protects us from interacting with the interstellar medium. When we leave this area in 20,000-50,000 years (according to our current observations and models), our heliosphere will become less efficient and expose the Earth. Perhaps our climate will change and become more problematic for living - if not impossible.
But life goes on.
The end of humanity on Earth is inevitable. But this does not mean that we need to hide under the table and tremble with fear. We cannot change it in any way, in the same way our lives have an end and a beginning. It defines us and makes us think that the only thing we can do is spend time on Earth with benefit. Especially when we remember that the Earth needs a very delicate balance to sustain humanity.
All of the above scenarios of destruction are frightening and surprising at the same time. At the same time, they point us to the future and the meaning of our existence.
ILYA KHEL