Cosmic Disasters that can End Life on Earth

From a galactic perspective, our Earth is nothing but a speck of dust among countless other stars. There are multiple phenomena in our universe that are so powerful that they can wipe out all life on Earth and even the planet from the face of the solar system in just a blink of an eye. Apart from large-scale pandemics, nuclear wars, and global warming, there are various cosmic disasters that can end life on earth.

Key Terms: Cosmic Disasters, Universe, Space, Earth, Asteroids, Solar Flare, Stars, Planets

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Cosmic Disasters

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Though the scenarios mentioned here are highly improbable, there are certain ones that have at least occurred once in the history of the Earth.

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Asteroids

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For roughly 165 million years ago the dinosaurs roamed the Earth and were the most successful group of animals. However, about 65 million years ago, the dinosaurs were wiped out by a huge asteroid, about 11 to 80 kilometers in diameter that smashed into the Earth. 

• It had such a severe impact that it left a crater about 180 kilometers wide.
• Most of the part of the asteroid was vaporized. 
• The left-out debris was then sent back into space.
• This debris orbited around the Earth and then fell back onto it.
• This resulted in fires all over the world and eventually resulted in millions of tons of dust and smoke that kicked into the atmosphere.
• This resulted in the blocking of the light from the sun for over an eon.
• Hence, an imbalance in the ecosystem was caused that resulted in disruptions in the food chain.
• This in turn triggered mass extinctions all over the world.
• These asteroids can cause high tsunamis, fires, and various other natural disasters that can wipe out life on Earth. 

If an asteroid like that crashed into the surface of the Earth today, the life on Earth will get wiped out the same way as the dinosaurs.

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High Energy Solar Flare

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The sun in our solar system generates strong magnetic fields which can create sunspots. The sunspots can be either small or even larger than Earth.

• Solar winds or solar flares are streams of radiation and particles that are ejected from the surface of the sun.
• The north and south hemisphere’s lights are caused due to these winds from the sun.
• Stronger storms or strong winds from the sun can even result in disturbances in the radio signals and can even result in power outages.
• The Carrington Event, one of the most powerful solar storms, occurred in the year 1859.
• These solar winds can disrupt the working of electronic pieces of equipment.

In today’s world, humans are very dependent on electronics. Hence, if a powerful solar storm occurs now, it can not only impact the electrical system but can also wipe out life from the Earth as it would lead to no electricity, no food, etc.

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Supernovas

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A star that bursts after reaching its end is called a supernova. On average, a supernova occurs every hundred years or so in our galaxy.

• Studies have identified a red supergiant star that is about to reach its end called Betelgeuse.
• The star is located 460 to 500 light years away.
• In the next million years, the star can transform into a supernova and can result in the destruction of our planet Earth.

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Rogue Planet

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Usually, plants are attached to a solar system and all of them orbit their stars in a similar way as the Earth orbits the sun. However, if a planet is ejected from its orbit due to a cosmic calamity, it goes through space rogue.

• Such a rogue planet can enter a solar system and disrupt other planets by either crashing into them or altering their orbit.
• It is speculated that such an event has already occurred in the past of the formation of Earth.
• A planet known as Theia catapulted through space and was thought to crash into the Earth.
• It eventually resulted in the formation of the moon from the debris and dust that was left behind as a result of this collision.

If another rogue planet makes its way into our solar system today after being ejected, it might result in some of the following scenarios - 

1. It could throw us off the orbit of the Earth - either pushing us towards the sun or fling the Earth so far away from the sun that the planet might freeze in a solid block of ice.
2. It may cause the neighboring planets to collide with the Earth.

Either way, life on planet Earth will be wiped away by this cosmic disaster.

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Expanding Sun

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The other cosmic disasters have a low probability of occurring, however, it is a known fact that the sun will end its life in around 7.72 billion years.

• The outer atmosphere of the sun will eventually form a planetary nebula.
• It will then be converted into a white dwarf.
• However, humanity would not be able to witness the sun in its final stages as it will become larger and cooler.
• The large area of the sun will engulf the mercury and venus.
• It will then result in strong solar winds that will eventually melt the Earth completely.

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Moving Stars

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The milky way galaxy is formed of millions and billions of stars. Each time a moving star comes in close proximity to the Earth, it can cause destruction.

• The stars can also come in contact with the Oort cloud at the end of the solar system.
• This can release a comet toward the Earth that can cause destruction.
• However, the wind from the sun and its magnetic field created a bubble around the solar system.
• This bubble protects life on Earth from the moving stars.

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Local Gamma-Ray Burst

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The sun releases the gamma rays which are extremely powerful energy outbursts. This can be caused by supernovas or the exploding stars and other binary star systems. 

• The energy released by these bursts is focused on narrow beams which last no longer than a few seconds.
• These beams can cause damage to the ozone layer or ozone layer depletion.
• The damage to the ozone layer can expose humans to the ultraviolet radiation from the sun which are harmful to them.
• The harmful radiation from the sun can cause skin cancer and various other diseases in human beings.

A star discovered by astronomers, known as WR 104, can result in such an event.

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Things to Remember

• A cosmic disaster is any event from galactic space that can hamper life on Earth.
• Some of the cosmic disasters that can end life on Earth are supernovas, high-energy solar flares, asteroids, and rogue planets.
• Over 65 million years ago, an asteroid hit the Earth wiping out all the dinosaurs from the planet.
• The sun in our solar system can cause solar storms that can hamper life on Earth.
• High energy flares from the sun can disrupt the radio signals and can even lead to power outages.

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