Forget Asteroids, this cosmic item may pose an even greater threat to worlds out there

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Asteroids generate fear about their immense destructive power. After all, an asteroid has been blamed for the extinction of dinosaurs. And they can very well have terrifying consequences for Earth.

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However, there is a new cosmic object now on the horizon of humanity that may have even greater destructive power. Yes, a new threat to life on planets like Earth has been identified. We are talking of supernovae here.

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Is Earth in danger? Find out what this Supernova survey revealed. The study is based on X-ray observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, Swift and NuSTAR missions, and ESA’s XMM-Newton.

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NASA says supernova explosions may pose an even greater threat to other worlds than we knew. In a survey, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes studied over 30 supernovae and researchers found evidence for a deadly wave of X-rays that could last for decades.

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This X-ray onslaught could damage the atmospheres of planets over 100 light-years away. Planets can be subjected to lethal doses of radiation.

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Earth is in a safe space in terms of potentially harmful supernova explosions, but may not have been in the past.

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When a supernova’s blast wave strikes dense gas surrounding the exploded star it can produce a large dose of X-rays that reaches an Earth-like planet months to years after the explosion and may last for decades.

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Such intense exposure may trigger an extinction event on the planet.

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If a torrent of X-rays sweeps over a planet, the radiation could severely alter the planet's atmospheric chemistry.

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For an Earth-like planet, this process could wipe out a significant portion of ozone, which ultimately protects life from the dangerous ultraviolet radiation of its host star.

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It could also lead to the demise of a wide range of organisms, especially marine ones at the foundation of the food chain, leading to an extinction event.