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Brightest Galactic Flash Ever Detected Hits Earth

Posted by timothy on from the betting-that's-estimated-rather-than-measured dept.

phenon writes "On December 27th scientists detected the largest cosmic blast to strike the Earth, actually altering the earths ionosphere briefly. MSNBC reports (along with Space.com), that this event happened from a magnetar 50,000 light years away from us, and if it had happened from a distance of 10 light years away, we would be talking about mass extinction here on earth. The cosmic ray blast was measured at 10,000 trillion trillion trillion watts of power!"

14 of 230 comments (clear)

  1. pet and repeat were in a boat... by NMerriam · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's so bright, we can't even look at slashdot to see if it's been mentioned already!

    --
    Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
  2. Um, Yeah . . . . . . by theparanoidcynic · · Score: 5, Funny

    Do Slashdot editors even read Slashdot?

    --
    Only in a Slashdot fantasy can a Slackware install turn into several hours of sex . . . . .
    1. Re: Um, Yeah . . . . . . by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Funny


      > Do Slashdot editors even read Slashdot?

      No, they've got better things to do with their time.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    2. Re:Um, Yeah . . . . . . by lxt · · Score: 5, Funny

      Isn't that kind of like asking if porn producers get off on their own material?

      (quite how I've dumped Slashdot editors and porn producers in the same barrel, I'll never know...)

    3. Re:Um, Yeah . . . . . . by Daravon · · Score: 3, Funny

      It begs the question, what do Slashdot editors read when they're slacking off at work? MSN?

      --
      I traded all my mod points for these magic beans.
  3. Twice in two days! by SClitheroe · · Score: 5, Funny

    My tinfoil hat is taking a real beating from all these cosmic rays!

  4. At least it's not... by Apathetic1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    'nuff said.

    --

    My username does not make me Apathetic. It's irony, get it?

  5. Damn right it's old news by BlastM · · Score: 4, Funny

    So this happened 50,000 years ago, and it's only now being posted to SlashDot?

    Gotta be a new record.

  6. Re:dupe, dupe, dupe of earl by Drey · · Score: 3, Funny

    Dupe of URL, surely?

  7. Hmmmmmmmmm by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 4, Funny

    With over 50 redundant "dupe" responses on slashdot, you'd think this story is becoming a DUPER-NOVA!

  8. Darn, I *did* read this last night. by Hackenslacker · · Score: 3, Funny

    For a second there, I had thought I had a sixth sense last night about something 50,000 lightyears away not being 10 lightyears away, and not killing us. But, no, I actually did read about this just before I went to bed, and had forgotten.

  9. Just for fun by hsoft · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'll try to submit this story to slashdot right now... Just to see if they'll post it AGAIN. :)

    Cmon, I can understand that duplicate stories can happen, but in the same day!!??

    --
    perception is reality
  10. Dupe, Dupe, Dupe... by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 5, Funny
    Dupe of URL, Dupe, Dupe,
    Dupe of URL,
    Dupe, Dupe,
    Dupe of URL, Dupe, Dupe.

    As I click through this whirl, Nothing can stop the Dupe of URL
    And you,
    you code in Perl
    No one can hurt you, oh, no...

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  11. Re:Story is a dupe by Everleet · · Score: 3, Funny
    ...or a TV news network that repeated the same story every 15 minutes for a month?

    Oh wait.

    --
    It's tragic. Laugh.