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Supernovae occur when a giant star runs out of energy. As it runs out of fuel to continue burning, the star expands massively before collapsing under its own gravitational pull.
When it does, it releases a huge explosion that sends gases, debris and particles in all directions of the cosmos.
Now, scientists say there is evidence that distant supernovae could be detected here on Earth.
Robert Brakenridge, a geoscientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, conducted a study to reveal supernova evidence on trees.
Mr. Brakenbridge revealed that carbon-14, also called radiocarbon, is an isotope of carbon found only in trace amounts on Earth.
It is created when cosmic rays bombard our planet’s atmosphere.
However, trees can harvest radiocarbon, so by analyzing tree rings, scientists can tell if there has been an increase in radiocarbon.
If there is, it means that a nearby star has released an abundance of cosmic rays.
Mr. Brakenbridge said: “These are extreme events and their potential effects appear to match tree ring records.
READ MORE: Explosion of a star near Earth may have triggered an ICE AGE – study
Mr. Brakenbridge has put his theory to the test by compiling a record of all nearby supernovae over the past 40,000 years.
Scientists know if a supernova has occurred near the nebula that the dead star left behind.
Of the closest supernovae studied, Mr. Brakenbridge saw a radiocarbon spike in the tree ring record shortly thereafter.
For example, a star in the constellation of Vela exploded about 13,000 years ago, and shortly thereafter there was a three percent spike in radiocarbon levels on Earth.
Mr. Brakenbridge continued: “What keeps me going is when I look at the Earth record and say, ‘My God, the predicted and modeled effects seem to be there.’
Some scientists believe a nearby giant star known as Betelgeuse may be in the process of becoming a supernova.
At the beginning of the year, the star began to decrease in brightness, leading some to argue that it was about to explode.
Betelgeuse is only 642 light years from Earth, so the increase in radiation could prove disastrous.
Brakenbridge said: “We can hope this is not what is going to happen because Betelgeuse is very close.”
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