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Kurzgesagt (In a Nutshell), Death From Space — Gamma-Ray Bursts Explained

Death From Space — Gamma-Ray Bursts Explained

Imagine if you could gather the energy from every star within a hundred million light years.

From thousands of galaxies, each with billions of stars.

Imagine, you could take this kind of power, and use it to fire the biggest super-weapon in the universe.

Imagine the damage you could do.

It turns out, you don't need to imagine it.

These exist, and they're called gamma ray bursts.

But what are these cosmic snipers?

And what happens if one takes a shot at Earth?

To understand gamma ray bursts, we first have to understand gamma rays.

Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation – waves which carry energy just like visible light.

Visible light is a tiny part of the electromagnetic spectrum: it's the part your eyes can see.

At lower energies, there are radio waves, microwaves and infrared.

And at higher energies: ultraviolet, x-rays and gamma rays.

Gamma rays are incredibly powerful.

A single gamma ray photon, is more energetic than a million visible photons combined.

Their high energy makes gamma rays a form of ionizing radiation.

Meaning they are energetic enough, to break apart atomic bonds.

This makes them dangerous to you and me.

Ionizing radiation disrupts the delicate biochemical machinery that keeps us alive,

like a 9mm bullet through a clock.

Fortunately, on Earth, the ozone layer blocks gamma rays. Filtering them out before they can harm us.

But if the atmosphere blocks gamma rays from space,

how were gamma ray bursts (or GRBs) from space ever discovered?

During the Cold War,

the USA sent up spy satellites, which could detect gamma rays from Soviet nuclear tests in space.

They didn't see any bombs, but they did observe faint bursts coming from space,

lasting only a few seconds.

To date, this may be the only major scientific discovery made by spy satellites (that we know about anyway).

Astronomers use telescopes see different kinds of light to make their discoveries.

And these spy satellites gave them a new pair of eyes.

They were a mystery for thirty years but eventually,

we discovered the source of a GRB: a galaxy six billion light years away.

If a GRB can be seen from such a distance, then it must be incredibly energetic.

Releasing more energy in a second than the sun will, in its entire ten billion year lifetime.

Making GRBs, the brightest events in the universe.

So, where do they come from?

GRBs, accompany some of the most violent, cataclysmic deaths in the universe,

and the birth of black holes.

There are two types of gamma ray bursts:

short and long, and each has their own source.

Long GRBs last about a minute, and scientist think they are produced by supernova:

when the core of a massive star collapses to become a black hole.

Short GRBs last a second, and are produced when two neutron stars in a binary merge.

Over millions of years, their orbits decay by emmiting gravitational waves.

Once they are close enough to touch, they crash and splash into each other, forming a black hole.

Both supernova and neutron star mergers the same thing:

black holes, surrounded by a magnetized disc of gas left over from their parent stars.

In these environments, the rotation winds up the magnetic field, which funnels hot jets of particles,

traveling at nearly the speed of light.

The gas in this funnel creates two tight jets of high energy gamma rays,

like a celestial laser gun.

So unlike other cosmic explosions, which spread out and fade,

GRBs say focused, and can been seen from much further.

Any more detail would require too much mathematics for a YouTube video.

The universe is full of these cosmic snipers, firing blindly and randomly into the dark,

and they're hitting us all the time.

On average, we detect one per day. Fortunately, most are harmless.

All the bursts we have detected so far, originated outside the Milky Way,

too far away to hurt us.

But a nearby GRB could be disastrous,

if one goes off within a few light years of us, it would totally cook the surface of the Earth.

Or at least, the half that's facing it.

But even a more distant GRB could still end life on Earth.

And it wouldn't need to score a head-shot to kill us.

If originating from a few thousand light years away,

it would be a hundred light years wide by the time it reaches us,

washing over the Solar System like a tidal wave.

Again, the ozone layer protects us, but it's better equipped to handle the trickle of ultraviolet from the sun.

A gamma ray burst would overwhelm it, leaving us exposed to deadly solar radiation.

Ozone takes years to replenish itself by natural processes,

which is more than enough time for the sun to burn the Earth sterile.

Or at least, to kill most complex life.

In fact, this may have already happened.

A GRB has been suggested as one possible cause of the Ordovician extinction 450 million years ago,

that eradicated almost 85% of all marine species.

Although it's pretty much impossible to prove.

Gamma ray bursts could even be one reason we don't see life anywhere else in the universe.

They might be wiping clean huge chucks of it, on a regular basis.

It's been suggested, that because of GRBs, only 10% of all galaxies might be hospitable to life,

similar to us.

So, are they going to kill us?

Probably not.

In a galaxy like ours, there may only be one GRB per millennia.

And to harm us, they must be close and directed at us.

But since gamma rays travel at the speed of light, we won't know when it's headed our way until it arrives.

So, there could already be a GRB on its way to kill us all, and we won't know it, until it hits us,

and we're dead.

This video was sponsored by squarespace.com/nutshell

Death from the sky could come around any second.

Maybe, even now!

So you don't have any time to waste.

Learning to set up a website, portfolio or blog is usually hard and time consuming.

Not so with Squarespace though.

They let you set up a page with easily understandable tools, very quickly,

and without any knowledge of web design.

You can use the code "NUTSHELL" to save 10% and support Kurzgesagt.

Squarespace have been a great sponsor, so give them some love.

You can support us directly at Patreon or get Kurzgesagt merch here:

it really helps.

Over the next few months, we'd like to make more videos about cataclysmic destructive events,

because, honestly, it's a lot of fun to make these.

If you have any ideas about what kind of doomsday scenario you'd like to learn about,

let us know in the comments.

And if you need to kill a little more time now, here are few related videos.

Or maybe...

NOW!

Death From Space — Gamma-Ray Bursts Explained Tod aus dem All - Gammastrahlenausbrüche erklärt La muerte desde el espacio: las explosiones de rayos gamma explicadas La mort depuis l'espace - Les sursauts gamma expliqués La morte dallo spazio - I burst di raggi gamma spiegati 宇宙からの死 - ガンマ線バーストの説明 Dood vanuit de ruimte - Uitleg over gammastraaluitbarstingen Morte no espaço - Explicações sobre as explosões de raios gama Смерть из космоса - объяснение гамма-лучевых всплесков Uzaydan Gelen Ölüm - Gama Işını Patlamaları Açıklandı Смерть з космосу - пояснення гамма-сплесків 太空死亡——伽马射线爆发的解释 太空死亡——伽馬射線爆發的解釋

Imagine if you could gather the energy from every star within a hundred million light years. Imagine se você pudesse reunir a energia de cada estrela dentro de cem milhões de anos-luz.

From thousands of galaxies, each with billions of stars. De milhares de galáxias, cada uma com bilhões de estrelas.

Imagine, you could take this kind of power, and use it to fire the biggest super-weapon in the universe. Imagine, você poderia pegar esse tipo de poder e usá-lo para disparar a maior super arma do universo.

Imagine the damage you could do. Imagine o estrago que você pode fazer.

It turns out, you don't need to imagine it. Resulta que no hace falta imaginárselo. Acontece que você não precisa imaginar.

These exist, and they're called gamma ray bursts. Eles existem e são chamados de explosões de raios gama.

But what are these cosmic snipers?

And what happens if one takes a shot at Earth? E o que acontece se alguém atirar na Terra?

To understand gamma ray bursts, we first have to understand gamma rays.

Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation – waves which carry energy just like visible light. Los rayos gamma son radiaciones electromagnéticas, ondas que transportan energía como la luz visible.

Visible light is a tiny part of the electromagnetic spectrum: it's the part your eyes can see. La luz visible es una pequeña parte del espectro electromagnético: es la parte que ven los ojos.

At lower energies, there are radio waves, microwaves and infrared.

And at higher energies: ultraviolet, x-rays and gamma rays.

Gamma rays are incredibly powerful.

A single gamma ray photon, is more energetic than a million visible photons combined.

Their high energy makes gamma rays a form of ionizing radiation.

Meaning they are energetic enough, to break apart atomic bonds. O que significa que eles são energéticos o suficiente para quebrar ligações atômicas.

This makes them dangerous to you and me.

Ionizing radiation disrupts the delicate biochemical machinery that keeps us alive, A radiação ionizante interrompe a delicada maquinaria bioquímica que nos mantém vivos,

like a 9mm bullet through a clock. como una bala de 9 mm a través de un reloj. como uma bala de 9 mm através de um relógio.

Fortunately, on Earth, the ozone layer blocks gamma rays. Filtering them out before they can harm us. Felizmente, na Terra, a camada de ozônio bloqueia os raios gama. Filtrando-os antes que possam nos prejudicar.

But if the atmosphere blocks gamma rays from space, Mas se a atmosfera bloquear os raios gama do espaço,

how were gamma ray bursts (or GRBs) from space ever discovered? como as explosões de raios gama (ou GRBs) do espaço foram descobertas?

During the Cold War,

the USA sent up spy satellites, which could detect gamma rays from Soviet nuclear tests in space. os EUA enviaram satélites espiões, que podiam detectar raios gama de testes nucleares soviéticos no espaço.

They didn't see any bombs, but they did observe faint bursts coming from space, Eles não viram nenhuma bomba, mas observaram rajadas fracas vindas do espaço,

lasting only a few seconds. durando apenas alguns segundos.

To date, this may be the only major scientific discovery made by spy satellites (that we know about anyway). Até o momento, esta pode ser a única grande descoberta científica feita por satélites espiões (que conhecemos de qualquer maneira).

Astronomers use telescopes see different kinds of light to make their discoveries.

And these spy satellites gave them a new pair of eyes.

They were a mystery for thirty years but eventually,

we discovered the source of a GRB: a galaxy six billion light years away.

If a GRB can be seen from such a distance, then it must be incredibly energetic. Se um GRB pode ser visto de tal distância, então deve ser incrivelmente energético.

Releasing more energy in a second than the sun will, in its entire ten billion year lifetime. Liberando mais energia em um segundo do que o sol, em toda a sua vida de dez bilhões de anos.

Making GRBs, the brightest events in the universe.

So, where do they come from?

GRBs, accompany some of the most violent, cataclysmic deaths in the universe, GRBs, acompanham algumas das mortes mais violentas e cataclísmicas do universo,

and the birth of black holes.

There are two types of gamma ray bursts:

short and long, and each has their own source.

Long GRBs last about a minute, and scientist think they are produced by supernova: GRBs longos duram cerca de um minuto, e os cientistas pensam que são produzidos por supernovas:

when the core of a massive star collapses to become a black hole. quando o núcleo de uma estrela massiva colapsa para se tornar um buraco negro.

Short GRBs last a second, and are produced when two neutron stars in a binary merge.

Over millions of years, their orbits decay by emmiting gravitational waves. Gedurende miljoenen jaren vervallen hun banen door het uitzenden van zwaartekrachtgolven. Ao longo de milhões de anos, suas órbitas decaem emitindo ondas gravitacionais.

Once they are close enough to touch, they crash and splash into each other, forming a black hole.

Both supernova and neutron star mergers the same thing: Tanto las supernovas como las fusiones de estrellas de neutrones son lo mismo: Tanto a supernova quanto a fusão de estrelas de nêutrons são a mesma coisa:

black holes, surrounded by a magnetized disc of gas left over from their parent stars. buracos negros, cercados por um disco magnetizado de gás que sobrou de suas estrelas-mãe.

In these environments, the rotation winds up the magnetic field, which funnels hot jets of particles, En estos entornos, la rotación enrolla el campo magnético, que canaliza chorros calientes de partículas, Nesses ambientes, a rotação enrola o campo magnético, que afunila jatos quentes de partículas,

traveling at nearly the speed of light.

The gas in this funnel creates two tight jets of high energy gamma rays,

like a celestial laser gun. como uma arma laser celestial.

So unlike other cosmic explosions, which spread out and fade, Então, ao contrário de outras explosões cósmicas, que se espalham e desaparecem,

GRBs say focused, and can been seen from much further. GRBs dizem focados, e podem ser vistos de muito mais longe.

Any more detail would require too much mathematics for a YouTube video. Mais detalhes exigiriam muita matemática para um vídeo do YouTube.

The universe is full of these cosmic snipers, firing blindly and randomly into the dark,

and they're hitting us all the time. e eles estão nos batendo o tempo todo.

On average, we detect one per day. Fortunately, most are harmless. Em média, detectamos um por dia. Felizmente, a maioria é inofensiva.

All the bursts we have detected so far, originated outside the Milky Way, Todas as rajadas que detectamos até agora, se originaram fora da Via Láctea,

too far away to hurt us.

But a nearby GRB could be disastrous, Mas um GRB próximo pode ser desastroso,

if one goes off within a few light years of us, it would totally cook the surface of the Earth. se uma explodisse a poucos anos-luz de nós, ela cozinharia totalmente a superfície da Terra.

Or at least, the half that's facing it. Ou pelo menos, a metade que está de frente para ele.

But even a more distant GRB could still end life on Earth. Mas mesmo um GRB mais distante ainda poderia acabar com a vida na Terra.

And it wouldn't need to score a head-shot to kill us. E não precisaria de um tiro na cabeça para nos matar.

If originating from a few thousand light years away, Se originado de alguns milhares de anos-luz de distância,

it would be a hundred light years wide by the time it reaches us, teria cem anos-luz de largura quando chegar até nós,

washing over the Solar System like a tidal wave. lavando o Sistema Solar como um maremoto.

Again, the ozone layer protects us, but it's better equipped to handle the trickle of ultraviolet from the sun. Mais uma vez, a camada de ozônio nos protege, mas está melhor equipada para lidar com os raios ultravioleta do sol.

A gamma ray burst would overwhelm it, leaving us exposed to deadly solar radiation. Uma explosão de raios gama iria dominá-lo, deixando-nos expostos à radiação solar mortal.

Ozone takes years to replenish itself by natural processes,

which is more than enough time for the sun to burn the Earth sterile. que é tempo mais do que suficiente para o sol queimar a Terra estéril.

Or at least, to kill most complex life.

In fact, this may have already happened.

A GRB has been suggested as one possible cause of the Ordovician extinction 450 million years ago,

that eradicated almost 85% of all marine species. die bijna 85% van alle mariene soorten heeft uitgeroeid.

Although it's pretty much impossible to prove. Embora seja praticamente impossível de provar.

Gamma ray bursts could even be one reason we don't see life anywhere else in the universe.

They might be wiping clean huge chucks of it, on a regular basis. Ze kunnen er regelmatig enorme klappen van afvegen. Eles podem estar limpando grandes quantidades dele, em uma base regular.

It's been suggested, that because of GRBs, only 10% of all galaxies might be hospitable to life,

similar to us.

So, are they going to kill us? Então, eles vão nos matar?

Probably not.

In a galaxy like ours, there may only be one GRB per millennia. Em uma galáxia como a nossa, pode haver apenas um GRB por milênio.

And to harm us, they must be close and directed at us. E para nos prejudicar, eles devem estar próximos e direcionados a nós.

But since gamma rays travel at the speed of light, we won't know when it's headed our way until it arrives. Mas como os raios gama viajam na velocidade da luz, não saberemos quando ele está vindo em nossa direção até chegar.

So, there could already be a GRB on its way to kill us all, and we won't know it, until it hits us, Então, já pode haver um GRB a caminho para nos matar a todos, e não saberemos, até que nos atinja,

and we're dead. e estamos mortos.

This video was sponsored by squarespace.com/nutshell

Death from the sky could come around any second. A morte do céu pode vir a qualquer segundo.

Maybe, even now!

So you don't have any time to waste.

Learning to set up a website, portfolio or blog is usually hard and time consuming. Aprender a configurar um site, portfólio ou blog costuma ser difícil e demorado.

Not so with Squarespace though. Não é assim com o Squarespace.

They let you set up a page with easily understandable tools, very quickly,

and without any knowledge of web design.

You can use the code "NUTSHELL" to save 10% and support Kurzgesagt.

Squarespace have been a great sponsor, so give them some love.

You can support us directly at Patreon or get Kurzgesagt merch here:

it really helps.

Over the next few months, we'd like to make more videos about cataclysmic destructive events,

because, honestly, it's a lot of fun to make these.

If you have any ideas about what kind of doomsday scenario you'd like to learn about, Se você tiver alguma ideia sobre que tipo de cenário apocalíptico você gostaria de aprender,

let us know in the comments.

And if you need to kill a little more time now, here are few related videos. E se você precisar matar um pouco mais de tempo agora, aqui estão alguns vídeos relacionados.

Or maybe...

NOW!