  A nearby supernova (SN) explosion could have negatively influenced life on
Earth, maybe even been responsible for mass extinctions. Mass extinction poses
a significant extinction of numerous species on Earth, as recorded in the
paleontologic, paleoclimatic, and geological record of our planet. Depending on
the distance between the Sun and the SN, different types of threats have to be
considered, such as ozone depletion on Earth, causing increased exposure to the
Sun's ultraviolet radiation, or the direct exposure of lethal x-rays. Another
indirect effect is cloud formation, induced by cosmic rays in the atmosphere
which result in a drop in the Earth's temperature, causing major glaciations of
the Earth. The discovery of highly intensive gamma ray bursts (GRBs), which
could be connected to SNe, initiated further discussions on possible
life-threatening events in Earth's history. The probability that GRBs hit the
Earth is very low. Nevertheless, a past interaction of Earth with GRBs and/or
SNe cannot be excluded and might even have been responsible for past extinction
events.
