The Universe s04e01 Episode Script

Death Stars

In the beginning was darkness.
Suddenly bang, which initiate of infinite expanding existence of time, space and matter.
Every day, new discoveries unveiled mysteries, mind--boggling and deadly secrets of the place we call UNIVERSE.
In the universe of "Star Wars" "Death Star" is the most powerful weapons of mass destruction capable of destroying whole planets.
In the real universe the sky is filled with real stars of death.
You can accept them as a bomb.
Some are dangerously close to our planet.
Life on Earth may receive a bad shock, when this radiation reaches us.
And one of these stars has taken a string of Earth.
It was shocking at first and not believe his eyes.
These are the stars of death and they make the universe a very dangerous place.
UNIVERSE Death Star Hundreds of light years from Earth, a supermassive star is about self destructive.
In the universe every day bursting stars but this is different.
It lies in constellation Sagittarius -- mythical archer in the celestial zodiac.
The star was named WR104.
Its destructive force is be directed to us and in our sights fragile blue planet enough deadly radiation to burn down our ozone layer.
This would involve drastic climatic changes lead to extinction of many plant and animal species and perhaps to death of humanity.
WR104 is just one of millions deadly stars in the universe.
These dangerous space objects are aging giants preparing to complete life with a powerful explosion.
At this point, outer layers of the star can no longer resist gravity and decreased sharply.
The last breath of those stars can create most powerful explosion in the known universe.
Gamma--ray burst.
Bang, which far exceeds amount of energy Sun, which will produce for his entire life of 10 billion years.
If such an explosion is aimed at Earth life we know will be destroyed.
WR104 could cause this which makes it real Star of Death.
In the movie "Star Wars" Death Star is the main Arms of the Empire.
It is pure science fiction but the reality is even more terrifying.
The real star of death a star that explodes and irradiate the surrounding planets with deadly radiation.
This is really fatal star.
WR104 is a body known as "Wolf--star stripes.
These are the biggest stars in the universe, beast 30 times larger than the Sun.
Each of them is capable cause Armageddon.
Discovered by French astronomers Charles Wolf and George stripes in 1867, stars are Wolf--stripe criminals in the universe.
Stars is the motto of "live fast Die young and leave a pretty corpse.
" As there are greater faster live and the more vehement is their end.
They burn very quickly nuclear fuel and therefore do not live very long -- perhaps tens of million years.
They are the real tiranozavri the starry realm and are extremely powerful.
In 2000, Australia astronomer Peter Tothil, begun to examine the WR104, located to 8000 light years from us.
This giant is fundamentally different from others.
Team immediately noticed Tothil immense cloud around a star the solar system.
We knew about a WR104 cloud, which was a mystery, because this is like to find snowflake in hell.
There was some mystery and we want to solve.
For six years Tothil using an infrared camera Keck Observatory in Hawaii, to create a composite image from different perspectives.
Gradually received amazing picture.
WR104 was created exotic spiral of dust.
At first not believe his eyes.
I thought that the stars does not look like spirals.
Had somehow to explain how a star To create such a spiral.
Tothil discovered that the key to strange spiral lies in the fact that WR104 is not alone.
It is part of etc.
dual system and has less star for the companion.
Both stars emit number of charged particles, called "star winds.
Such winds are novelty in the universe.
Sun creates solar wind, extending beyond the outer planets.
The difference is that the dual system winds of stars collide and gas compression are forming dust.
But why create dust spiral so exotic? I'll try to do analogy to explain the processes occurring in these rotating twin systems.
Modify this sprayer place just one shot.
A nonstop stream of water emission of particulate matter created by plod star winds.
Since the two stars of the system WR104 revolve around one another, adds twist traffic to flow.
At first glance it seems that water moves in a circle but actually flow is straightforward.
Water drops moving in a straight line but rotating sprinkler twisting them around her form of a spiral.
Spiral rise more questions.
Most troublesome is in what type of star death could become WR104.
Wolf--stars stripes are something by bomb they are very solid and may not live long.
Once you spend nuclear fuel nothing can stop relentless gravity.
At this point the kernel the star collapses, outer layers fall on him and then bounce creating a colossal explosion.
The explosion is called a "supernova" huge release of radiation able to overshadow whole galaxy.
WR104 certainly will explode in supernova over the next few hundred thousand years.
On Off explosion is not threat to Earth.
But it is likely to create a supernova most rapid phenomenon in the universe -- Gamma--ray burst.
In a small percentage of deadly stars leading to gamma radiation bursts caused by transformation a dying star a black hole.
During the collapse of its star generate a massive electric field.
Just a moment energy from this electric field is converted into matter and antimatter, facing each other releasing large energy.
These are the most powerful rays in the electromagnetic spectrum.
More lethal than microwaves, infrared and even X--rays.
People have learned to use deadly gamma rays, as irradiation food.
With the help of gamma rays food manufacturers eliminate microorganisms bacteria, viruses and insects.
But the quantity used gamma rays is a very small part the energy released in gamma--ray star outbreaks.
Gamma--ray outbreaks create so much radiation that if we could create such an outbreak on Earth would be a while exploding nuclear bombs in countless destroying life on Earth.
The most important point for people Gamma--ray burst is the direction of radiation.
At the time of the collapse the star is becomes thick and oblate disk.
Both ends of the axis of rotation the only directions not filled solid matter.
Receive two relatively free directions on poles.
The fabric can be launched precisely in these two directions because it meets the relatively low resistance.
That pot of yogurt a good analogy to what is happening the gamma--ray explosion.
Now I'll let her go, and since its walls are strong milk can not to go in these directions.
The lid of the cup is open and milk will go from there.
See what happens.
Milk flew straight up.
Could not flew away, he was suspended the walls of the cup.
This is a good analogy to what happens at gamma--ray explosion.
The most worrying thing for people is the direction of the outbreak.
If the axis of collapse Star is focused on us can befall serious trouble.
When the team of Peter Tothil examines the plane of the orbit of the dust cloud around WR104, they reached the shocking conclusion.
Filament was key to many mysteries.
Things started to become bit scary when we realized disc that seems to give us.
Axis is directed opposite us.
It's like watching a plate.
If you turn the plate sideways it will not let us look round.
Additional studies showed that the filament axis coincides with the axis of rotation star itself.
This means that the world looks right in his gun.
This means that if the star create gamma radiation bursts one of the two beams will be directed to us.
WR104 beautiful spiral is become a messenger of death.
At 8000 light years from Earth, two stars have grappled in a gravitational dance.
Their stellar winds create a huge cloud of dust form of a spiral.
But this star lies more of the beautiful spiral.
Most of the two stars, WR104, is a massive star's death and is on the verge of explosion in a supernova.
That's for sure.
The real question is whether it will create gamma radiation bursts which is the most powerful release energy in the universe.
This issue is important for all inhabitants of Earth because the axis of the star can be directed to us.
This means that if the star create gamma radiation bursts beam can be directed right at us.
WR104 is located in the constellation Sagittarius and is preparing to sow destruction.
Constellation Sagittarius is named by Roman astrologers before more than 2000 years.
We must ask ourselves whether ancients did not know anything.
Is not the shooter the target is within us? Can accept as WR104 arrows aimed at us if you really get to Gamma--ray burst.
Among today's astronomers there is little dispute the ability of such concentrated beam of gamma rays travels to great distances.
Indeed, on April 23, 2009, satellite detection of waves different lengths (SWIFT) detect gamma radiation explosion of That is until the very end the visible universe.
The outbreak occurred only 630 million years after the Big Bang.
This means that gamma rays of this star are moved the speed of light for 13 billion years to reach us.
This gamma radiation burst is the oldest object in the known universe.
Do not know any other star or galaxy that is farther away from us.
This is the most distant object we've seen.
Off only a Gamma--ray burst from WR104 would be disastrous.
If WR104 explode, glow, which will will see is much brighter than the Sun.
Especially in the gamma radiation spectrum.
A Gamma--ray burst may to surpass the total luminosity millions of galaxies.
And each of these galaxies contains 100 billion stars.
This star is like death time bomb.
Scientists know with certainty it will explode in supernova.
But whether it will lead to gamma radiation explosion aimed at Earth not yet known.
First, it should we are aware.
If you have gamma radiation bursts whether it will be directed to us.
The axis of the stellar spiral looks aimed right at Earth.
But after thousands of light years will pass, whether the beam will hit the target? Whether the sight of shooter will be accurate? We know that is directed in our direction.
But it may be targeted and light in our countries, so that the beam gamma rays to pass us.
But if the beam points exactly towards us a powerful energy burst Ozone can transform our layer in the radio ad.
Gamma--ray burst distance even thousands of light years could reduce Ozone Layer half.
This will destroy all species but can lead to mass extinction.
A large proportion of all species will die suddenly.
The important question is whether the death of WR104 will lead to a gamma radiation explosion.
Scientists just do not know.
To create Gamma--ray bursts basic condition for a star high speed rotation.
All--Stars rotate on its axis.
Some massive stars can to rotate very fast.
Energy of rotation star is part of the reason the emergence of Gamma--ray burst.
If you can hit the brakes to slow the rotation of the star before they reach this stage, will deactivate the bomb.
Based on new scientific data come to the conclusion that the universe if using other brakes on their stars.
Are called "metalichnost.
Stars are drawn mainly of hydrogen and helium, but whenever a star explodes create heavier elements.
Elements like carbon, nitrogen and oxygen which become the raw material for the next generation of stars.
Stars that are born today contain more heavy elements or have higher metalichnost of stars born in the distant past.
When a massive star contains many heavy elements it loses much of its mass by stellar winds leading to a decrease speed.
The result is that it rotate too slowly to create Gamma--ray burst.
In today's stars Wolf--stripe is happening thing which disposes of all bombs.
They broke his back in supernovae, but very few of them reach the Gamma--ray burst.
Can these brakes WR104 slow enough to make it safe for the Earth? Many astronomers believe so.
But may be wrong.
Is the Earth of the distant is really in danger? When the star of death WR104 called explode likely to focus lethal gamma radiation burst right--to--earth.
It is believed that the star is roughly Close enough that there is so that gamma radiation burst harm the Earth? Radius of 5 to 8000 light years in the danger zone.
Life on Earth may suffer severe impact if this radiation reaches us.
If it was 2--3 times further away would be safe if it was 2--3 times closer we would tremble with fear.
We are just the boundary of the hazard.
Can cause damage but is unlikely to us izpepeli all while we sleep.
Maybe every one billion years a gamma radiation bursts which is close enough and sufficiently focused to us cause for concern.
Universe is filled with deadly stars of all sizes.
But stars are not the only bodies capable of such terror.
Universe and is home deadly galaxies as 3C321, also known as "Star Galaxy deadly.
Galaxy 3C321 is a huge black hole in the middle millions of times heavier than the Sun.
Just to the limits of the black hole chaotic movement of magnetic fields and have created powerful gravity high energy beam.
These rays are not uncommon, but this is directed to another nearby galaxy.
The case of 3C321 is very interesting, because there is also another galaxy years away.
Stars in this galaxy have been attributed of energetic particles and radiation.
X--ray astronomer Dan Evans traces from the control center of the X--ray Chandra satellite, near Boston.
Black holes are very strange objects but few of them have so powerful rays.
Even less of them as 3C321, a beam that hits another galaxy.
This is extremely rare.
The second galaxy is only Massive energy beam, more even by gamma radiation bursts is continuous and it seems that there unlimited supply of energy.
This is the best land analogy to the galaxy 3C321.
The beam comes out of the black hole the speed of light and could pass one million light years away.
But in this case, the beam strike in another galaxy therefore is distracted and diverted, creating trouble for the galaxy.
As building divert water jet, planets and stars in the galaxy deviate most particles.
This is a massive beam of energy and particles that are so hot, that pass into state of plasma.
Plasma is a mixture of super hot electrons and ions, zaprateni in the powerful rays of magnetic field of the black hole.
Rays emanating from black holes are extremely energetic.
Can accelerate particles to much that emit light and even gamma rays, which are extremely powerful.
And very durable.
Studies show that the beam from 3C321 is broadcast by almost 2 million years.
In order to receive fuel It has a lot of fuel.
We believe that in the past there was a galactic merger.
We see these beautiful beaches of powder which supports this assertion.
Merger zahranilo black hole with matter.
Once the stock is absorbed plasma from the other galaxy accelerate them, creating a beam.
Black holes are powerful magnetic flight and super fast speed of rotation.
This combination in some thus a beam of particles.
Scientists believe that the reason the beam be focused in one direction involves a lot of gas and dust surrounded the black hole.
In the case of active as galaxy 3C321, which has a supermassive black hole in the center often have a ring of matter around like a donut.
In this case, high energy particles near the black hole can not penetrate this ring plane of the galaxy.
Can move only on this axis where there are few obstacles.
Unfortunately, the second galaxy looked right in the center of the donut.
The zone of collision with the beam like Slope of the space gun.
The problem with that beam of high velocity particles and radiation impactor little distant galaxy beam that is large enough and covers a large number of stars.
If this galaxy has any creatures around any star and any planet are in serious danger.
What would happen if the Milky Way shoot was of such a galaxy? If Earth gets in the way of the beam, effects on the ozone layer will be enormous and deadly.
Gamma rays coming from 3C321 convert nitrogen oxides, which accelerate ozone depletion.
For several weeks, months, or at most a year ozone layer will be completely destroyed.
This is quite unpleasant.
But like many phenomena in the universe, and here is the same paradox.
From death comes life.
but up.
This is one of my favorite characteristics of 3C321.
The function of black holes is not only to swallow everything in the universe.
Not only are all destroyers.
Beam coming from hitting another 3C321 galaxy, which is a ruin, but the consequences are that gas clouds, which are formed subsequently established stars planets and eventually life.
This is a beautiful cycle of birth, destruction and rebirth.
This is typical of the universe and black holes.
Sometime in the future, the Milky Way may make a merger with the nearby Andromeda galaxy and create new galaxy of death.
This is an eventful event with will certainly doom the Earth to death.
Such an event could happen after many billions of years but in our galaxy star has other threats.
These are stars hiperskorostnite and nothing can stop them.
For the human eye, the stars are just a beautiful picture of heaven.
But if you look closely, will see that some are deadly stars at the end of his life those space beasts are everything else, but not peaceful.
Sooner or later the star burns all the hydrogen in its core and transforms it into helium.
Then, it must be sufficiently massive, to be able to ignite helium and it transformed into heavier elements as carbon, nitrogen and oxygen.
This relieves a lot of energy.
The same process released energy of the hydrogen bomb.
Although the live wild life, most of these stars will burn and will populate the afterlife star as carcasses called "white dwarfs".
These are small balls of electrons and nuclei, who never will glow brightly.
But there Supermassive stars which are very energetic exploding and killing in a supernova.
Sometimes up and most powerful of all explosions -- Gamma--ray burst.
For some of the massive stars death, the ending is a new beginning.
For example, Second Life a neutron star.
When a massive star explode in supernova, sometimes its core collapses forming a black hole.
But in most cases, if the kernel is not sufficiently massive, have something equally weird -- neutron star.
Small but incredibly tight body.
This is actually a huge quantity of matter compressed into very little space.
For example, the mass of The sun is folded in the area with a diameter of several tens of kilometers.
Gravity is so strong that inside the star protons and electrons are pressed, creating neutrons.
Neutron star may remain stable for billions of years.
Themselves, neutron Stars are not a threat to anyone.
Unless you find a partner.
Another scenario for the death of stars is mutual suicide of two neutron stars.
Are called "Double neutron stars.
Are obtained when two neutron stars up close, but doomed in touch.
Their orbits in a narrow For millions of years, until finally no face a stark confrontation.
Then they can create powerful explosion.
One type of second life.
There are two types gamma--ray explosion.
The second type is called "Short outbreaks" and last no more than two seconds.
We believe that they result from merger of neutron stars.
Summaries outbreaks differ of gamma--ray outbreaks caused by collapse massive stars.
Gamma--ray burst created facing two neutron stars may be short--lived but it is powerful.
In less than two seconds Energy is released as the sun will up for a lifetime.
Worrying for us is that Milky Way has at least two dozen double neutron stars.
A close Gamma--ray burst will destroy most part of the ozone layer.
This would involve disastrous consequences for Earth.
According to calculations every 100 million years happens in a merger of neutron stars within a radius of 3,000 light years from the Sun.
This is close to the pace which have occurred mass extinctions on Earth.
Is it a coincidence or have to worry about, that last dance two dying stars can destroy ozone layer and change the planet? Scientists do not know the answer.
The chances of this happening these are as a runaway star-- to fly on Earth.
This is a remote but very fearsome possibility.
Likely one star to be discarded from one cluster, where stars interact with each other.
To our knowledge, not to us headed wandering stars but if this happens, will be quite interesting.
One option is Earth's orbit to be demolished by the gravitational pull of the wandering stars.
One of the dramatic possibilities is Land to be disposed outside the solar system.
This will be wandering free energy source.
Nobody knows what exactly would happen.
Everything depends on the angle of trajectory and mass of the star.
Wandering stars can reach a speed of 100 km / sec.
They are fast, but not enough to escape the gravitational gravity of the Milky Way.
But there is a super fast star which could escape and gallop across the universe.
Are called "Hiperskorostni Stars.
Hiperskorostnite stars ordinary stars like the Sun only move with over 1.
6 million km / h.
This speed is higher than rate of avoidance of the Milky Way.
The high speed start from ordinary double star which is too close to the black hole.
Just as damaged command module of Apollo--13 received more speed passing near the moon hiperskorostnata star gets strong gravitational boost black hole, which breaks relationship with her partner The star, which is closer to the black hole was captured in a very narrow orbit and lose their energy.
Another star that absorb energy and was fired at very high speeds.
Launches hiperskorostnata star is like a sling shot.
At the time the orbit Double Star was destroyed, hiperskorostnata star is launched with great speed in the space vacuum.
Zaprateni outside within the Milky Way and are doomed to wander intergalactic space.
It is unlikely that such star ever harm the Earth.
Fortunately, the death of these velocity stars will occur far beyond the solar system.
We should be bothered them the stars near us.
Sooner or later, Their end will come and we have great views to their destruction.
In remote corners the universe, countless stars counting his last moments cooking for his impressive and a stormy end.
Closer to us, within a radius of There are several dozen stars, some of preparing for his death.
I think we are not threatened than ordinary supernovae.
We're not really sure gamma--ray explosion.
One of these stars is in the Star Eta Carina system.
Supermassive star approximately 100 times greater and a million times brighter than the Sun.
In 1843 the cumulative pressure vazplamenilo great light eruption which was visible from Earth.
But the star survived and formed dust cloud called the "Nebula".
At a distance of only we will have a wonderful view to its destruction.
We think that will become black hole over the next million years.
While collapses, it will have sufficient material, to create a powerful Gamma--ray burst.
Unlike WR104, Eta Carina took us not targeted.
We know that the axis of rotation Eta Carina is not aimed at Earth.
Fortunately, a bundle of gamma rays will not hit Earth.
When you break this supernova It may be the brightest, humanity ever seen.
Unless displaced another contender, which is even closer to us -- Betelgeuse.
Located in the constellation Orion about 500 light years from us Betelgeuse quickly burned last their stocks of nuclear fuel.
Betelgeuse is a very massive star about 20 times heavier than the Sun and explodes the next 500,000 years.
People have noticed in recent decades Betelgeuse has changed a lot.
Size is contracted by about 15%.
Nobody knows what this means, but kept it all under the eye.
Some scientists believe that Betelgeuse could cause gamma radiation burst.
Even if it happens we have nothing to fear.
Like Eta Carina, its axis is directed away from Earth.
Furthermore, Betelgeuse can have built a shield against blasts.
The explosion it will be relatively normal, will be Gamma--ray burst.
Betelgeuse is in the thick hydrogen envelope is likely to prevent release of particles and radiation.
There is too much material in which radiation must pass.
Betelgeuse will shone brightly for a moment but far from Brightness which is our nearest star will reach the end of his life.
Sun.
Medium--size stars as Sun, have a long life.
Currently, it is in the middle of life and is about 4.
5 billion years.
This means that middle--aged.
Scientists have calculated that the Sun will live another 5 billion years.
But the problems for us can to start very soon.
Gradually, our Sun becomes brighter and more powerful.
After 0.
5 to 1 billion years Earth will become so hot, that the oceans will evaporate.
So we have less than 5 billion years to think on this issue.
You should think of something in the next several hundred million years.
Billions of years after the Sun Earth is deprived of life, it enters final phase known as the "red giant".
Can not explode in supernova, because it is not solid enough.
Most scholars agree on this final stage.
Being a red giant, its density will decrease and the sun will expand Consuming the nearby planets.
At this stage the sun will absorb Mercury, Venus and perhaps Earth.
This will be the end of the Earth.
Of all fatal stars in the universe, one that will most likely destroy the Earth is our Sun.
The destruction of our planet small part of the cycle of creation.
Death Star withdraw life but at the same time generate life.
Heavy elements in our bodies created by previous generations of stars and are scattered throughout space from stellar explosions.
We would not have us, If it were not the stars to explode a powerful at the end of his life.
As Carl Sagan said, "We are made of star dust.
Discharge of heavy elements explosions from the ongoing may someday lay the foundation for the emergence of life away from the Milky Way, new blue planet a new corner of the universe.

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