# Probability of "nearby" gamma ray burst?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-nearby-gamma-ray-burst/458992>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 6, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-nearby-gamma-ray-burst/458992 "2008-08-06T02:51:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-nearby-gamma-ray-burst/458992/1 "2008-08-06T02:51:41Z")

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In the latest Discover magazine, this little tidbit can be found on the last page:

> [@Discover](#):
>
> Gamma ray telescopes can detect light from the most violent explosions in the universe, probably caused by stars collapsing into black holes. If a gamma ray burst occurred within 6,000 light-years of us, we’d all be fried.

In galactic terms, my back-of-the-envelope says this covers about 1.5% of the Milky Way. What are the probabilities of such an event happening in that area? What observations have we made of such events elsewhere that don’t affect us?

Do we need to worry? :eek:

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-nearby-gamma-ray-burst/458992/2 "2008-08-06T03:19:42Z")

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[QUOTE=CookingWithGas]  
Do we need to worry? :eek:  
[/QUOTE]

I’ve heard that we are only in trouble if we are lined up with one of the star’s magnetic poles, but if we are :eek:

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-nearby-gamma-ray-burst/458992/3 "2008-08-06T03:36:47Z")

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[More than you ever wanted to know](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_ray_burst) , but basically **Saint Cad** is correct…it would have to be aimed at us, and our galaxy isn’t prone to them anyway.