New research from Keele University and Universidad de Alicante shows that near Earth explosion Giant O and B type stars It occurs at a rate of 2.5 per billion years. This result supports the view that such an event may have caused one or more of the mass extinction events recorded on Earth.
Among the puppies in the constellation, I have the impression of the artist Zeta Puppis, an O-shaped star about 1,400 light years away. Image credit: Tahina Ramiaramanantsoa.
Astronomers at Kiel and Alicante University believe that the explosion of supernova near Earth could condemn both the late Devonian and Ordovician extinction events that occurred 372 and 445 million years ago, respectively.
Ordovician extinction killed 60% of marine invertebrates when life was largely confined to the ocean, and the late Devonian wiped out about 70% of all species, leading to a major change in the species of fish present in ancient seas and lakes.
Previous studies have not been able to identify a clear cause of either event, but are thought to be related to Earth's ozone layer depletion, which may have been caused by supernova.
A new study found that the velocity supernova that occurs near our planet coincides with the timing of both mass extinctions.
“Supernova explosions bring heavy chemical elements to interstellar media, which are used to form new stars and planets,” said Dr. Alexis Quintana, PhD from Kiel University, the lead author of the study.
“However, if planets, including Earth, are too close to events of this type, this can have devastating effects.”
“Supernova explosions are some of the most energetic explosions in the universe,” said Dr. Nick Wright, PhD from Keel University.
“If a large star explodes as a supernova close to Earth, the results will be devastating for life on Earth. This study suggests that this may already be happening.”
An artist impression of HR 6819, a close binary consisting of deleted B-shaped stars (background) and rapidly rotating BE stars (foreground). Image credit: ESO/L. Calsada.
Astronomers came to their conclusion after conducting a large-scale census of OB stars in the sun of Kiloparscheck (approximately 3,260 light years).
They studied the distribution of these stars to learn more about how clusters of stars and galaxies form using themselves as benchmarks, and the rate at which these stars form in our galaxies.
The census allowed researchers to calculate the rate at which supernovas occur within galaxies, which are important for supernova observations, and the rates that are important for the production of large-scale star rests, such as black holes and neutron stars throughout the universe.
Data will also help in the future development of gravitational wave detectors, a useful tool for scientists studying the structure and origin of the universe.
As part of this, the researchers calculated the supernova rate within the 20 parsecs (65 light years) of the Sun and compared this to the approximate velocity rate of mass extinction events on Earth that were previously attributed to nearby supernovas.
This exclusion events linked to other factors such as asteroid impacts and ice ages.
Comparing these datasets, experts found that their studies support the theory that supernova explosions are responsible for both the late Devonian and Ordovician extinction events.
“We calculated the supernova rate close to Earth, and we found that it coincides with the speed of mass extinction events on our planet, which are related to external forces such as supernova,” Dr. Wright said.
Astronomers believe it occurs in galaxies like the Milky Way at about one or two supernovas, or even lower speeds, but the good news is that there are only two nearby stars that can reach the supernova within the next million years or so.
“But both of these are over 500 light years from the US, and computer simulations have previously suggested that supernovaes at distance from Earth are likely to not affect our planet,” the author said.
Their study It will be published in Monthly Notices from the Royal Astronomical Society.
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Alexis L. Quintana et al. 2025. Census of AB stars within 1 kpc and collapse rate of star formation and core collapse Supernova rate. mnrasin press; arxiv: 2503.08286v1
Source: www.sci.news
