Did a Supernova Cause the Devonian Extinction? - Dr. Brian Fields, Unv. of Illinois - Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion Sept. 1, 2020 Video and Podcast

The Cosmic Companion talks to Dr. Brian Fields of the University of Illinois about his study showing a possible stellar cause for one of the greatest extinction events ever.

Hello everyone:

This week, we are joined by Dr. Brian Fields of the University of Illinois. He recently headed a study showing how the Devonian extinction which took place on Earth 359 million years ago, may have been triggered by the supernova explosion of a nearby star.

We also look at a new experiment showing how life might survive a trip aboard an asteroid traveling from Mars to Earth, and we discuss new ideas showing how Earth may have been a water world since soon after its formation. Finally, we gaze out to the nearby galaxy, Andromeda, as the Hubble Space Telescope reveals a massive halo of ionized gas surrounding the massive collection of stars.

Watch the video version of this show:

Or, listen to this episode as a podcast!

(We are still moving podcast hosts - if you have trouble hearing the show through your regular provider, please visit The Cosmic Companion Podcast page on our new host, Anchor).

Coming September 8: Dr. Dimitra Atri of New York University, talking about his research showing how life may live just beneath the surface of Mars, aided by galactic cosmic rays.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Cosmic Companion, please download and share the episode on YouTube, Facebook Video, or any major podcast provider.

For more details on space and astronomy news, please visit: thecosmiccompanion.net or thecosmiccompanion.com.

Thanks for watching, listening, and sharing!

- James