grotto
November 18th, 2008, 11:25 PM
Interesting stuff. Digging around Google and Wiki it seems 150 light years is plenty close enough to be dangerous:
Type Ia supernovae are thought to be potentially the most dangerous if they occur close enough to the Earth. Because Type Ia supernovae arise from dim, common white dwarf stars, it is likely that a supernova that could affect the Earth will occur unpredictably and take place in a star system that is not well studied. One theory suggests that a Type Ia supernova would have to be closer than a thousand parsecs (3300 light-years) to affect the Earth.
But this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IK_Pegasi) article states "However in the time it will take for the system to evolve to a state where a supernova could occur, it will have moved a considerable distance from Earth and will pose no threat. A supernova would need to be within about 26 light years of the Earth to effectively destroy the Earth's ozone layer, which would severely impact the planet's biosphere."
Pretty cool. Wish I would be alive to see it happen. :guitar:
Type Ia supernovae are thought to be potentially the most dangerous if they occur close enough to the Earth. Because Type Ia supernovae arise from dim, common white dwarf stars, it is likely that a supernova that could affect the Earth will occur unpredictably and take place in a star system that is not well studied. One theory suggests that a Type Ia supernova would have to be closer than a thousand parsecs (3300 light-years) to affect the Earth.
But this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IK_Pegasi) article states "However in the time it will take for the system to evolve to a state where a supernova could occur, it will have moved a considerable distance from Earth and will pose no threat. A supernova would need to be within about 26 light years of the Earth to effectively destroy the Earth's ozone layer, which would severely impact the planet's biosphere."
Pretty cool. Wish I would be alive to see it happen. :guitar: