How Far Is The Supernova From Earth And What Will Happen If It Explodes?

In an interview with the Russian website “Gazeta.ru”, the scientist said:
“The closest candidate star to go into a supernova is about 550 light-years away from Earth, and it is the red giant “Gemini House” in the Orion constellation. This star is unstable and constantly flashes, so scientists expect the possibility of its collapse and explosion in the near future. However, the term “near” in astronomy may mean a period extending from 10,000 to 100,000 years.”

He added:
“Supernovae explode in different ways, and many of the internal processes that lead to their explosion are still not fully understood. But estimates indicate that the Geminid House explosion, if it occurred at a distance closer to the solar system, would be like an extremely intense solar explosion.”

Sordin pointed out that when a star explodes and turns into a supernova, it emits powerful gamma rays, but they are unable to leave the boundaries of its star system. The Earth’s atmosphere also provides natural protection for living organisms from such cosmic phenomena.

The scientist concluded his speech by saying:
“For a supernova to pose a direct threat to life on Earth, it must occur within the solar system itself. If the Sun had a companion star, the shape of our system would be completely different. Also, the Sun cannot explode as a supernova, because its mass is much smaller than the necessary limit for this to happen.”

Source: Linta.ru