Every 60 million year or so, the sun's orbit around the galaxy wobbles above the plane of the rim, and the solar system is exposed to slightly greater cosmic radiation from interstellar space, increasing background cosmic radiation as much as 24.5 times the background dose. The same 60 million year cycle has been linked to a decrease in biodiversity. There are 10 million years left in the the cycle until the next period of increased radiation.
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| As the sun orbits around the center of the Milky Way, it bobs up and down relative to the plane of the galactic disk. Every 64 million years, our solar system pops above the "northern" edge of the disk, exposing Earth to a barrage of dangerous cosmic rays that may be affecting biodiversity on the planet. |
Whew, another thing to put off...
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