Scientists have worked out how close a neutron star collision would have to be to threaten all life on Earth, in a not-remotely-terrifying new study. The event, known as a kilonova, is among the most powerful and explosive in the known universe. It’s not quite as bright as a supernova – but we should still keep our distance. Haille Perkins, team leader and a scientist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told Space.com: “We found that if a neutron star merger were to occur within around 36 light-years of Earth, the resulting radiation could cause an extinction-level event.” That’s about 212 trillion miles – which seems like quite a large danger zone. But we need not worry, apparently. Kilonovae are extremely rare and difficult to spot, because they happen so quickly. Scientists, including those from the University of Warwick, recently managed to observe one by using the James Webb telescope. The explosion first produces a blast of gamma rays which lasts for just seconds. If we got caught in one of those, it would fry us all rather quickly. That’s pretty unlikely because they go in two thin lines out from the centre of the blast. They also cause an afterglow of X-ray emissions in the surrounding dust and particles. If we’re within 16.3 light years of those, we’d be in trouble. But the worst bit is the cosmic rays (of course!) – energetic charged particles spreading out from the explosion in a bubble. If these hit Earth, they would strip the ozone layer and leave us vulnerable to ultraviolet rays for several thousand years. That would be a bummer because, again, we’d all die. Fortunately, kilonovae are so rare that we’re more likely to get hit by an asteroid, added Perkins. She said: “There are several other more common events like solar flares, asteroid impacts, and supernova explosions that have a better chance of being harmful.” That’s good then. New kilonova discoveries In the most recent kilonova, it was the gamma rays that alerted the astronomers to the fact something big was going down. Then, they got in touch with various telescopes and detectors to ask them to focus on the bit of the sky where the burst had come from, and bingo: kilonova. Here's what it looked like on the JWT's feed. One of the major discoveries from this one is that kilonovae produce an element called tellurium, a relatively rare element on Earth. They also worked out where the two neutron stars came from: a spiral galaxy about 120,000 light years away from the location of the final explosion. That’s about the diameter of the Milky Way, and just a little further away than the mere 36 light year danger zone, then. But it’s food for thought nonetheless, eh? How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 8, 2023--

At today's WWDC event, Apple made jaws drop when it announced that its newest product,

New rules from the Biden administration to limit a lucrative consumer tax credit for electric vehicles that contain

A lesbian couple have become the first in Europe and only the second in the world to have a baby they both carried. Little Derek Eloy came into the world weighing just over 7 lb 4 oz. Couple Estefanía, 30, and Azahara, 27, went to a fertility clinic in March to begin the process. A capsule of eggs and sperm was first placed into Estefania’s vagina. It was left for five days so the sperm could naturally fertilise the eggs in vivo. After the device was removed, the embryos were examined and selected before being transferred into Azahara’s uterus for further development. Azahara then carried Derek for nine months before giving birth to the healthy boy on 30 October. Derek’s birth in Palma, Majorca, was made possible thanks to an innovative fertility treatment called INVOcell. In total, the couple paid more than £4,400 (€5,000) for the treatment and the medication they had to take. A doctor from the team that made Derek’s birth possible explained: “The novelty in this process is that both could carry the embryo and share it for as long as needed.” Estefanía told local media: “It was a way for both of us to be able to carry him. “The idea that I could participate in this way and carry him in my womb was much more exciting.” Derek is the first European baby born via INVOcell. The technology has only been used once before - in 2018 by Texan couple Bliss and Ashleigh Coulter to allow them to carry their son, Stetson. Estefanía said: “Now, I look at him, my partner and I look at each other, and we feel that it’s something that has been within both of us, something we’ve done together.” Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Google’s dominance in online search has triggered a regulatory crackdown by South Africa’s antitrust body. The watchdog determined

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 2023--

HSBC Holdings Plc is offering trading of crypto-linked exchange traded funds to customers in Hong Kong amid a

Kai Cenat was over the moon with joy as he jumped around his room screaming when Pokimane agreed to DM her number to him

The US Federal Trade Commission filed a notice in court that it intends to appeal a ruling by

Save up to 80 percent on select games and toys during this year’s Prime Day event, plus discover the best Meta Quest 2 deals, LEGO discounts, and more.

Two attacks by Ukrainian drones against Russian warships have been thwarted according to Moscow.