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xkcd #2878: Supernova (imgs.xkcd.com)
submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by yimby@lemmy.ca to c/xkcd@lemmy.world

Alt text:

They're a little cagey about exactly where the crossover point lies relative to the likelihood of devastating effects on the planet.

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[-] match@pawb.social 56 points 8 months ago

Wikipedia (Near-Earth Supernova) says that a 25 ly away supernova would wipe out half the ozone layer so that's probably the lower bound for what we want

[-] kurwa@lemmy.world 21 points 8 months ago

Geez, how many stars do we have that close to us?

[-] whocares314@lemmy.world 32 points 8 months ago

None. Space is big, and stars that can potentially supernova are rare. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_supernova_candidates

[-] hperrin@lemmy.world 50 points 8 months ago

Your answer is a little misleading. I think you meant there are several stars that close to us, but none that can go supernova.

[-] whocares314@lemmy.world 15 points 8 months ago

That’s fair. It’s also a little misleading because there are other cosmic events that could happen that are both closer to us and potentially further away, and have in the past. I wouldn’t say we are immune from the hazards of space but my comment could have been construed that way.

[-] TheBat@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

That's disappointing

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this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2024
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