A group of astronomers recently released statements to find the safest place to live in the Milky Way, about 26,000 light years from the center.
The new discovery was made by a team of Italian astronomers who studied places where powerful cosmic explosions could kill lives. These explosions like supernovae and gamma-ray bursts, spewing out particles, high-energy radiation that can cut up life-killing DNA. According to the researchers’ logic, the most habitable areas would be those where explosions are not frequent.
“Strong cosmic explosions have not significantly affected the existence of life in our galaxy throughout its cosmic history. But these events have played an important role in inducing a variety of events.” Danger of death over most of the Milky Way, ”explains lead author Riccardo Spinelli, astronomer at the University of Insubria, Italy.
We are currently at the limit of a series of areas where there is a good chance of survival.
In addition to finding the deadliest hotspots, astronomers have also identified the safest places in the history of the galaxy 11 billion years ago.
The results show that we are currently at the edge of a range of areas with a high chance of survival. But at the young age of the Milky Way, the edges of the galaxy were a safer choice.
There are many factors that make a planet habitable. The planets, for example, must be in the Goldilocks region, where the heat and activity of their host star is neither too much nor too weak. But beyond these local conditions, survival must be done against harmful radiation from interstellar space.
Powerful cosmic events, such as supernovae and gamma-ray bursts, transmit dangerous high-energy particles at speeds close to the speed of light. They can kill all forms of life that we know of. After such an event, scientists believe that planets orbiting nearby star systems will be erased from life.
“For planets very close to stellar explosions, there is a high chance of mass extinction,” Spinelli explained.
The authors wrote in the study that a gamma-ray burst may have played a leading role in the Ordovic-era mass extinction 450 million years ago, the second largest in the history of Earth.
While there is no concrete evidence linking a particular gamma-ray explosion to this extinction event, the authors suggest that it could occur with Earth’s position in the galaxy.
Using models of star formation and evolution, astronomers calculated when specific regions of the galaxy would be inundated with killer radiation.
At the beginning of the galaxy’s history, the inner galaxy with a lifespan of about 33,000 light years was strongly influenced by the formation of intense stars. At this time, the galaxy is frequently rocked by powerful cosmic explosions, but the outermost regions, where there are fewer stars, are barely touched.
Until about 6 billion years ago, most galaxies were regularly hit by massive explosions. As the galaxy ages, such explosions become less common. Today, the middle regions form a ring 6,500 light years long from the galactic center about 26,000 light years from the center, which are the safest areas for life. Closer to the center, supernovas and other events are commonplace. In the suburbs, there are fewer planets and more gamma-ray bursts.
Fortunately, our region of the galaxy is becoming more and more friendly now. In the galaxy’s long-term future, there will be few extreme events nearby that could cause another mass extinction.
