Gamma Ray Burst Visible At Record Distance 68
Invisible Pink Unicorn writes "A gamma ray burst detected on March 19 by NASA's Swift satellite has set a new record for the most distant object that could be seen with the naked eye. The burst had a measured redshift of 0.94, meaning the explosion took place 7.5 billion years ago. The optical afterglow from heated gas was 2.5 million times more luminous than the most luminous supernova ever recorded, making it the most intrinsically bright object ever observed by humans in the universe. The previous most distant object visible to the naked eye is the nearby galaxy M33, a relatively short 2.9 million light years from Earth."
To put that in perspective- (Score:4, Interesting)
Phew (Score:3, Interesting)
Without the red shift... (Score:3, Interesting)
Ouch indeed. (I'm sure somebody will check your math and adjust the distance if necessary. So let's go with the premise of a solar input's worth from nearby.)
At that sort of distance the red shift would be virtually nonexistent. A kilowatt per square meter of gamma rays would make you toasty warm all the way through, not just on the skin.
Also: Goodbye DNA and RNA. Presuming you're still alive (for some value of alive) after the flash you'd be running on the proteins you've already got for your last few days. Then the deep ocean and rift vent critters get their chance. (Presuming, of course, that an associated neutrino flux didn't get them and the planet has to start from scratch.)
It's all because of A. C. Clarke's death (Score:3, Interesting)