Sea Life Wiped Out by Neutron Star Collision?

Memorize writes "Scientists report in the Journal of Astrophysical Letters that a mass extinction of marine life 450 million years ago might have been caused by radiation from an exploding star, such as a collision between two neutron stars, or a neutron star collapsing into a black hole. Such an event would cause a ten-second burst of gamma radiation, and if it occurred within our galaxy, it could have wiped out many species on earth. At least if astronomers find out that an asteroid is heading our way, we can do something about it, but if there is a gamma burst, we get no warning. And if we did, would there be any way to protect the planet?"

Comments

Couldn't have wiped out all of it in 10 seconds

[SimonInOz]

A 10 second burst of radiation would irradiate half the earth. The other half would be unaffected, surely? If it can penetrate the earth (like neutrinos do all the time), then it'll go straight though any organisms too.

Just a 10 second burst?

[sbaker]

So if it's just 10 seconds, surely it could only cook the side of the planet facing the event? Surely we aren't talking about an event so energetic that the radiation would pass all the way through the earth's core in enough strength to screw up both hemispheres at once?

We must be talking something that trashes the ozone layer - or the environment in some other way. It's not enough for the energy to simply kill all the critters on one half of the planet...that's a recoverable event in itself.

It must be that it depletes something important and CONSEQUENTLY all the fish die.