Scientists have discovered that violent star collisions called kilonovae could pose a catastrophic threat to Earth due to the release of lethal radiation, including gamma rays, cosmic rays, and x-rays. If a neutron star merger occurred within 36 light-years of Earth, it could cause an extinction-level event by destroying the ozone layer. Cosmic rays are identified as the most significant threat, while gamma rays and x-rays could also have devastating effects. However, such events are rare, and there are other more common events that have a higher chance of causing harm to Earth.
Scientists have discovered that violent star collisions called kilonovae could pose a catastrophic threat to Earth due to the release of lethal radiation, including gamma rays, cosmic rays, and x-rays. If a neutron star merger occurred within 36 light-years of Earth, it could cause an extinction-level event by destroying the ozone layer. Cosmic rays are identified as the most significant threat, while gamma rays and x-rays could also have devastating effects. However, such events are rare, and there are other more common events that have a higher chance of causing harm to Earth.
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Scientists have discovered that violent star collisions called kilonovae could pose a catastrophic threat to Earth due to the release of lethal radiation, including gamma rays, cosmic rays, and x-rays. If a neutron star merger occurred within 36 light-years of Earth, it could cause an extinction-level event by destroying the ozone layer. Cosmic rays are identified as the most significant threat, while gamma rays and x-rays could also have devastating effects. However, such events are rare, and there are other more common events that have a higher chance of causing harm to Earth. 
