Besides asteroids and comet impacts, could a super nova of a star near our sun also have caused mass extinction in our Earths past history?
2006-10-02 14:16:57 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
That's a good question, in spite of idiot who gave you a thumbs down.
It is not set in concrete that the Chixculub impact caused the extinction ( as Eagleflye suggested). There is evidence that dinosaur species were declining before then, and that some species lingered for some time after the impact.
It is also not signed and sealed that a supernova would kill all life. There must be a distance at which it happens where some life would survive (and mutate?) and some would become extinct.
So, all in all it is not out of the question.
The other theory is volcanism - the Deccan traps in present day India poured forth a "country" quantity of lava, and the associated dust and gases would have made life quite difficult.
It is now thought that the extinctions happened over the course of 300,000 years, so it could have been a combination of events, and that does not rule out a supernova.
2006-10-02 15:30:11 · answer #1 · answered by nick s 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We'd know about it. Actually, we wouldn't know. If a supernova caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, it would have also caused the extinction of all life on the planet. Those gamma rays are deadly. It's pretty well settled that a comet or large asteroid strike in the Gulf of Mexico off of the Yucatan Peninsula caused the extinction.
2006-10-02 21:21:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A near-by supernova could cause serious problems for life on Earth, depending on just how close it was. It could even sterilize Earth entirely, if it was close enough.
However, if a supernova exploded close enough just to cause mass extinctions and not total, we would still be able to see the remnant from that explosion. We have not detected such a remnant.
2006-10-02 22:06:25 · answer #3 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. A supernova did not kill off the dinos. Stars are far apart in our neighborhood and there is no evidence that there has ever been one close enough to even be considered for this. When galaxies collide, the stars do not; that's how far apart the stars really are.
2006-10-02 21:45:06 · answer #4 · answered by nickhatten 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the asteroid that either caused or contributed to the exinction of the dinosaurs struck the earth about 65 million years ago, a we bit more than 300,000.
2006-10-03 22:52:46 · answer #5 · answered by llloki00001 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the super nova was too close it could have obliterated the whole planet.
2006-10-02 21:27:18 · answer #6 · answered by Donovan G 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That is possible, but unlikely. There is evidence of an impact, but we have no evidence of a supernova. I am not saying it is impossible, we just have no evidence for it.
2006-10-02 22:30:01 · answer #7 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why not? With so many theory's swirling around I could believe that one too.
2006-10-02 21:26:16 · answer #8 · answered by The Garage Dude 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hey one guess is as good as another,.
2006-10-02 21:24:40 · answer #9 · answered by Cheryl E 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋