By, MA
Have you ever wondered if it were possible for the stars we look at in the night sky to destroy our home planet? It has been scientifically shown that it actually is possible for a star to destroy a planet, such as Earth. This natural disaster doesn’t only happen in the stories we read, it could actually happen in real life! Real science could affect our future, and even cause our world to end.
“There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury is a story about a mechanical house that stands alone after the entire city was destroyed by a nuclear bomb. This house is unaware that the people that lived in it are gone. The house is later destroyed when it sets on fire. The house and fire cause a battle between technology and nature. “The Star”, written by H.G. Wells is about a star that is predicted to destroy Neptune and possibly affect Earth, which it does. The star causes natural disaster to occur on Earth, such as floods and cracks in the Earth’s crust that gush lava. After the madness, there are very few survivors, which was considered a miracle by Martian astronomers. The few survivors that remain soon begin to rebuild and repopulate Earth. A question that both stories raised was if it were actually possible for something like a star to destroy Earth.
It is possible for a star to destroy our planet. Although it may not be from a star crashing into Earth, it is possible for a star to explode (which is called a supernova) and affects Earth that way. If a supernova were to be within about 10-40 light years from Earth, we would be affected greatly. Ten light years from Earth would completely destroy our plant and the solar system, while 30-40 light years would destroy Earth’s ozone layer and magnetic field, which still isn’t good news for us. So, scientists have come to the conclusion that 50-100 light years is the safest distance between us and an exploding star.
I think that anything could happen in the future. Whether it is now or in a million years, something is bound to happen to life on Earth. If this natural disaster were to occur, there would be several pros and cons. For example, a pro would be that new life could evolve, creating a fresh start for another species. A con would be that humans would disappear, which would also cause all our advanced technology and ideas to disappear with us.
A star demolishing Earth and mankind isn’t just an event that happens in the fictional stories we read. The stars we look at in the night sky could actually destroy our home planet. If this extraordinary event could happen to us in real life, who knows what other unbelievable events we read in stories could occur as well?
Websites used: http://www.spaceanswers.com/deep-space/how-close-would-a-supernova-have-to-be-to-destroy-life-on-earth/
http://earthsky.org/space/supernove-distance
http://www.howitworksdaily.com/could-a-supernova-destroy-earth/
Tiger Times 