New Delhi, India

Space is a mysterious and dangerous place. While we know that black holes can swallow up whole planets, some things are far scarier than them.

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Apart from black holes, various objects in the universe can pose a threat to not only our planet but the whole solar system.

Here are some of the most dangerous objects and phenomena in space:

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)

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Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are from powerful explosions observed in distant galaxies. It is believed they can vaporise anything within 200 light-years with its beams. While GRBs hitting Earth is only a hypothesis, it could be dangerous to the atmosphere and damage the ozone layer, making life vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

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Megacomet

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A “Megacomet” is a massive comet that can be as large as 100 miles across. The biggest-ever comet C/2014 UN271 was last seen in our solar system in 2021. It is so big that it was named a minor planet initially. Luckily, it will be a billion miles away from Earth when it comes closest to Earth in 2031. However, there is a possibility of more megacomets in the universe that could come our way.

Supernovae

Supernova explosions occur when a star reaches the end of its life cycle. They are so powerful and bright that they can outshine an entire galaxy due to the energy they release. Any object within their “kill zone” could be wiped out by its intense radiation.

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Asteroids

There are many large objects in our solar system. There is a possibility of an asteroid striking the Earth, similar to the one that wiped out dinosaurs from Earth about 66 million years ago. According to new data from astronomers, there are over 150,000 objects that are unidentified in the solar system, and most of them are asteroids.

Cosmic collision

A collision with another galaxy can lead to deadly impact, creating new black holes and altering the galaxies due to the clashing gravitational forces. It is predicted that Andromeda galaxy, which is 2.5 million light-years away will collide with our galaxy, Milky Way, in 3 to 5 billion years.

(With inputs from agencies)