Do you remember the day before December 21st, 2012, the day the ultimate apocalypse was supposed to happen? How did you expect it to happen? Cyclones? Earthquakes?? Well, 2012 might have disappointed us, but the future won’t. Cosmos has many surprises in store which might certainly end the World we see.
GAMMA RAY BURST.
Gamma rays are the most powerful electromagnetic radiation. When a supernova occurs, the star collapses turning itself into a dense body of shape, color and composition unknown called a Black Hole where the general laws of physics are assumed to be defied. These black holes when formed, due to strong magnetic fields shoot a jet of gamma rays concentrated by the magnetic fields which last from few seconds to minutes. A gamma ray burst can shoot energy equivalent to what the sun can produce throughout its lifetime.
Gamma rays can knock valence electrons off. Hence are very harmful and can make the life on earth miserable. Although the earth’s ozone layer protects us from gamma rays, such great intensities can prove the ozone layer ineffective, and even if it could stop gamma rays it may lead to complete erosion of the ozone layer which will eventually affect life on earth adversely.
Although gamma rays are powerful they cannot entirely wipe out life on earth. The statistical probability of a GRB near the earth is quite low as there aren’t many supermassive stars near the earth. Even if there are, the probability of the earth being in its path is very low. Be that it may, It cannot end life on earth. it can only make life on earth more difficult for decades and not impossible.
SMALL SCARY BODIES.
Universe has big surprises packed in small celestial bodies which randomly move at very high speed. Some are from the solar system and orbit the sun and are called asteroids and meteorites. Others are from outside the solar system and occasionally pay a visit to our planetary system called the comets.
Meteorites are never a threat to the blue planet. There are merely Falling stars in the night sky. But, asteroids and comets 10 km or larger can have a devastating impact on the planet earth and may lead to a mass extinction of species, the fate dinosaurs met on the planet. Bodies that are of size around 100 km can entirely wipe out life on earth.
Although, these celestial bodies possess energy greater than all the atomic bombs ever made by us combined, thanks to Jupiter’s huge gravitational capabilities the odds of one coming our way is very scarce. There are no asteroids large enough to wipe off life on earth in any orbit around the sun. And again asteroids can’t make life on earth impossible. Remember! there are many species from the Jurassic world which still exist in our beautiful world.
THE HELIOS.
Yes, you heard it right! Sun is our dearest slayer. Its gravitational field keeps planets in orbit. It radiates heat and light which makes life on earth possible. But the sun will also be responsible for the planet’s inevitable death.
Sun, which is now 4 billion years old is in its most stable state. Eventually, burning most of its Hydrogen to Helium, will form a helium core covered with hydrogen as gravitational forces takeover due to lesser outward force due to reduced hydrogen fusion. The Sun then becomes a Red Giant and engulfs planets nearby including Earth one day, making life on earth impossible.
Death from the star is inescapable. But, can be delayed for another billion years as humans may colonize other planets if not hit by gamma-ray bursts and asteroids as long as the sun stays as a red giant. Once no hydrogen is left for fission, the sun turns into a white dwarf.
THE ANDROMEDA.
Andromeda is the nearest large galaxy to the Milky-way galaxy. It’s spiral and is visible to an unaided eye in the night sky as a blurry patch. It’s 2.48 million light-years away from us and is approaching the milky way at a pace of 116 km/sec and is accelerating! It’s on the course of a head-on collision with our galaxy.
The two galaxies will collide around 4.3 billion years from now. Any living being alive would be able to see the spectacular cosmological dance to form a large elliptical galaxy. The stars and planets will constantly be in a cosmic choreography. Both galaxies will get severely disrupted. This collision might end up ending life in any colonized planet of the solar system.
The Andromeda may collide with the milky way. The respective black holes may collide. But the destruction of life may not happen as the solar system survives the collision as the solar system is a speck of dust when compared to galaxies in size. So, events that tend to wipe out life like celestial collisions, destructive magnetic fields are less likely to occur as these cosmic bodies still manage to stay separated enough for the inter-cosmic effects to be felt.
Living conditions and standards may change but, End of life completely is not possible as we keep finding new ways to keep mankind alive. The Earth is a speck of dust compared to the Cosmos which we can’t own Forever. Nothing is forever when your planet isn’t. So, ‘Know the Purpose of Life.’
“Adaptability is the simple secret of survival”
