<p>If WR104 was at the distance of Alpha Centauri and its pole pointed at us when it went off what effect would it have? How badly would Earth be scorched?</p>
<p>If we were sitting right on the cannon’s mouth, placed artificially, and we got hit with its full <span class="math-container">$10^{44}$</span> J at the source <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-ray_burst" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-ray_burst</a>, it might do it, as to vaporize a planet we'd need <span class="math-container">$2 \cdot 10^{32}$</span>  <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/09/14/the-physics-and-economics-of-blowing-up-a-planet/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/09/14/the-physics-and-economics-of-blowing-up-a-planet/</a></p>
<p>But at 4 Ly?</p>
<p>How does the inverse square law apply to jets?.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-19T17:30:37.000Z
if you know the energy, just apply the inverse square law and see what arrives here? Compare that to other energy sources.
planetmaker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-19T18:48:06.433Z
Wikipedia [has an entry on it's page about WR 104](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WR_104#Effects_on_Earth).
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-22T08:19:57.533Z
– @planetmaker but do jets even follow inverse square law?
Mark Besser
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-22T08:27:53.223Z
Yes. Even when not spherical, they have an opening angle. Energy is limited to a cone , but that is just an element of a sphere,so the same distance behaviour applies. You just need less overall energy for the same energy density inside
planetmaker
<supernova><heat>
What would be the effect of WR104 if it was at the distance of Alpha Centauri and pointed at us?
Mark Besser
# What would be the effect of WR104 if it was at the distance of Alpha Centauri and pointed at us?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-12-19)

If WR104 was at the distance of Alpha Centauri and its pole pointed at us when it went off what effect would it have? How badly would Earth be scorched?

If we were sitting right on the cannon’s mouth, placed artificially, and we got hit with its full $10^{44}$ J at the source <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-ray_burst>, it might do it, as to vaporize a planet we'd need $2 \cdot 10^{32}$ <https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/09/14/the-physics-and-economics-of-blowing-up-a-planet/>

But at 4 Ly?

How does the inverse square law apply to jets?.

**Tags:** supernova, heat
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: if you know the energy, just apply the inverse square law and see what arrives here? Compare that to other energy sources.  
> **username_2**: Wikipedia [has an entry on it's page about WR 104](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WR_104#Effects_on_Earth).  
> **username_0**: – @planetmaker but do jets even follow inverse square law?  
> **username_1**: Yes. Even when not spherical, they have an opening angle. Energy is limited to a cone , but that is just an element of a sphere,so the same distance behaviour applies. You just need less overall energy for the same energy density inside  

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## 0 answers

