SGR 1806-20’s Extinction Flare

On December 27, 2004, satellites detected an extreme gamma-ray blast from the magnetar SGR 1806-20, tied to a violent “starquake” on the neutron star. Even from tens of thousands of light-years away, the flare briefly disturbed Earth’s ionosphere. Scientists warned that if a similar event happened within about 10 light-years, it could severely damage Earth’s atmosphere, including stripping much of the ozone layer, and might trigger a mass extinction.

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