The universe is a vast and complex entity.
Its existence is a constant mystery to us all and it is one that demands explanation. We don’t know everything about the universe or our own galaxy but it is clear that there are many things that we do know and that people across the world should know about.
One of those questions that we know the answer to is what would happen if a Quasar entered our galaxy.
This article will not only answer this question but also tell you what exactly Quasar is and what it could potentially do to all of us.
What Is A Quasar?
First of all, let’s begin by answering the question as to what exactly a Quasar is.
A Quasar is the result of two black holes merging.
You see, when two black holes encounter one another, they aren’t destroyed; rather they end up merging together to create a supermassive black hole or what is known as a Quasar.
Because of the sheer size of a Quasar, it is thought to be far more deadly than an ordinary black hole and could potentially suck a great deal of energy, light, and life into its core.
Now that we’ve explained exactly what a Quasar is, let’s discuss what would happen if a Quasar entered our solar system.
What Would Happen If A Quasar Entered Our Solar System?
So now that we know what a Quasar is, what would happen if it entered our solar system?
You might imagine that it wouldn’t be a good thing.
And it wouldn’t. If a Quasar were to enter our solar system, then rather than the night sky going instantly dark it would be incredibly light.
This is because Quasar’s produce a lot of light and the radiation from that light would make the sky burn incredibly brightly, much brighter than our own Sun.
The light particles would be so strong that they would undermine Earth’s atmosphere and free our atmosphere from Earth’s gravity, which is the thing that is keeping it in place.
Without our atmosphere or gravity, the oceans would become barren; the arctic ice would melt, and the temperature of the planet would skyrocket, far higher than anything that could be caused by global warming.
As such if a Quasar were to enter our solar system it would likely destroy all life on Earth in a fairly short amount of time.
Certainly, a Quasar is a phenomenon that we wouldn’t want to happen anytime soon.
So now that we’ve explained exactly what would happen if a Quasar were to enter our solar system, let’s turn to explore some other interesting facts about this dangerous but fortunately rare galactic menace.
Facts About Quasars
Quasars, as have been mentioned, are incredibly bright. Indeed, they are the brightest objects in our universe meaning that their luminous power is much more than any other star in the cosmos.
You would think this would mean that they were large and unstoppable, due to the fact that they emit so much light and can cause so much damage to our own solar system if one were to appear in it.
However, this isn’t the case. Quasars are only as large as our solar system. Now, this might seem like a large area but in comparison to the rest of the universe, our solar system is fairly small which makes the fact that they can burn so brightly all the more fascinating.
In fact, despite their destructive power Quasars don’t actually last that long.
Due to the fact that they constantly need energy, Quasars do slowly die out if they are unable to find any sources of energy to feed off. This isn’t helped by the fact that they are competing against other Quasars in a sense.
Although black holes aren’t alive in the same way that you or I are, they still need to consume energy in order to sustain themselves.
This is why, with other 500,000 Quasars in the universe it can easily become difficult for many of them to be able to consume anything to sustain them, in which case they will eventually die.
The question as to whether Quasars are actually even alive given they are the product of two black holes colliding is of course one for more philosophical minds.
Whilst we are fortunate in that we have not had to endure a Quasar; it is thought that our solar system did previously encounter a Quasar 6 billion years ago.
Scientists have been able to find traces of it in the makeup of our solar system and see evidence that it was once there.
Fortunately for us, this occurred before not only the evolution of humans but also before our own Earth and its Moon were formed.
If a Quasar were to reappear in our solar system, it would certainly spell trouble for all intelligent life on Earth.
Even though there are around half a million Quasars in the universe, you shouldn’t be too worried about them.
The nearest Quasar to Earth is around 581 million light-years away – an incredible distance – and most Quasars are nowhere near as dangerous as they could be.
The majority of Quasars are low radiation emitters meaning that they don’t send out the kind of blasting particles of light that are described in this article.
This doesn’t of course mean that they aren’t a threat; even the low radiation Quasars aren’t soft and cuddly.
They are still super black holes meaning that even if they don’t emit the same amount of light, they can still be very destructive.
Quasars may sound like something that is almost out of science fiction, but they are a real and important piece of space and our universe and therefore it is crucial to understand why they exist but also the levels of damage that they could potentially cause not only to use but all other lifeforms in our solar system and universe.
Final Thoughts
Quasars aren’t likely to enter our solar system anytime soon. Black holes colliding against one another aren’t everyday occurrences and thankfully the universe is so large that it is unlikely that we will have one occur in our solar system.
However, this simply doesn’t mean that they aren’t important or that they shouldn’t be of concern.
Everything that occurs in the universe should be of concern to us simply because we exist in the universe and knowing what happens in it can help us to not only improve life on our own planet but ensure that the entire cosmos is a better place.
This is why knowing about Quasars is so important. Quasars, if used correctly, could be an incredible natural source of energy and yet at the moment, we have the means to defend ourselves from them let alone use them in such a way.
However, if we all know about them and can help contribute to pushing the boundaries of science then maybe one day in the distant future, we will not view them as a danger to be feared but as a potentially useful means of powering our future.
The future can and should be as bright as possible and that’s why we all need to know about the things that could affect it.
- I Can’t See Anything Clearly Through My Telescope – Help! - April 26, 2022
- Astronomy For Beginners – Getting Started Stargazing! - April 26, 2022
- Are Telescopes Easy To Use? - April 26, 2022