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The solar system has a rather well-known history. Looking at the present situation, one might get the impression that it was a rather stable and well-defined system: the orbits of the planets appear to be stable, climate and atmospheres on the planets have been determined, the risk of collision with other bodies (comets, asteroids, meteorites) seems to be small. However it is known today that the evolution of life on Earth was neither a steady progression nor uniform. There were several periods of mass extinction. These catastrophic events played a crucial role in the rise of new species. Events of astrophysical origin include: • Asteroid impacts • Major solar variabilty (space weather) • Nearby supernovae • The passage of the solar system through dense interstellar clouds Catastrophic cosmic events of this type appear in the range of some 100 million years. The author discusses whether and how such events could have occurred in the solar system as well as in recently found extrasolar planetary systems. In this text, which addresses readers in the field of Astrophysics and Astrobiology but also Geophysics and Biology these cosmic catastrophic events are described at an intermediate student's level.

Astrophysics. --- Life on other planets. --- Natural disasters. --- Habitable planets --- Exobiology --- Natural disasters --- Catastrophes (Geology) --- Astrophysics --- Life on other planets --- Astronomy & Astrophysics --- Biology --- Physical Sciences & Mathematics --- Health & Biological Sciences --- Biology - General --- Habitable planets. --- Exobiology. --- Extraterrestrial life --- Astronomical physics --- Natural calamities --- Astrobiology --- Earth-like planets --- Earthlike planets --- Physics. --- Planetology. --- Space sciences. --- Astrobiology. --- Climate change. --- Radiation protection. --- Radiation --- Astrophysics and Astroparticles. --- Extraterrestrial Physics, Space Sciences. --- Climate Change. --- Effects of Radiation/Radiation Protection. --- Safety measures. --- Astronomy --- Cosmic physics --- Physics --- Planets --- Fermi's paradox --- Historical geology --- Disasters --- Life --- Extrasolar planets --- Origin --- Climatic changes. --- Environmental protection. --- Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics, Space Exploration and Astronautics). --- Changes, Climatic --- Changes in climate --- Climate change --- Climate change science --- Climate changes --- Climate variations --- Climatic change --- Climatic changes --- Climatic fluctuations --- Climatic variations --- Global climate changes --- Global climatic changes --- Climatology --- Climate change mitigation --- Teleconnections (Climatology) --- Planetary sciences --- Planetology --- Environmental quality management --- Protection of environment --- Environmental sciences --- Applied ecology --- Environmental engineering --- Environmental policy --- Environmental quality --- Environmental aspects --- Radiation—Safety measures. --- Radiation monitoring --- Radiation protection --- Science and space --- Space research --- Cosmology --- Science --- Global environmental change --- Planetary science.

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UV radiation is an important part in the electromagnetic spectrum since the energy of the photons is great enough to produce important chemical reactions in the atmospheres of planets and satellites of our Solar System, thereby affecting the transmission of this radiation to the ground and its physical properties. Scientists have used different techniques (balloons and rockets) to access to the information contained in this radiation, but the pioneering of this new frontier has not been free of dangers. The Sun is our main source of UV radiation and its description occupies the first two chapters of the book. The Earth is the only known location where life exists in a planetary system and therefore where the interaction of living organism with UV radiation can be tested through different epochs and on distinct species. The development of the human technology has affected the natural shield of ozone that protects complex lifeforms against damaging UV irradiation. The formation of the ozone hole and its consequences are described, together with the possible contribution of UV radiation to recent climate changes. Finally, we will discuss the potential role of ultraviolet light in the development of life on bodies such as Mars, Europa and Titan. The Solar System is not isolated; other external sources can contribute to the enhancement of the UV radiation in our environment. The influence of such events as nearby supernovae and gamma-ray bursts are described, together with the consequences to terrestrial life from such events.

Ultraviolet radiation. --- Solar radiation. --- Astrophysics. --- Solar system. --- Milky Way --- Astronomical physics --- Astronomy --- Cosmic physics --- Physics --- Absorption, Atmospheric --- Atmospheric absorption of solar radiation --- Insolation --- Radiation, Solar --- Electromagnetic waves --- Black light --- Light, Black --- Light, Ultraviolet --- Rays, Ultraviolet --- U-V light --- U-V radiation --- U-V rays --- Ultra-violet radiation --- Ultra-violet rays --- Ultraviolet light --- Ultraviolet rays --- UV light --- UV radiation --- UV rays --- Radiation --- Astrobiology. --- Oncology. --- Climatic changes. --- Environmental protection. --- Astrophysics and Astroparticles. --- Astronomy, Observations and Techniques. --- Cancer Research. --- Climate Change. --- Effects of Radiation/Radiation Protection. --- Environmental quality management --- Protection of environment --- Environmental sciences --- Applied ecology --- Environmental engineering --- Environmental policy --- Environmental quality --- Changes, Climatic --- Changes in climate --- Climate change --- Climate change science --- Climate changes --- Climate variations --- Climatic change --- Climatic changes --- Climatic fluctuations --- Climatic variations --- Global climate changes --- Global climatic changes --- Climatology --- Climate change mitigation --- Teleconnections (Climatology) --- Tumors --- Astrobiology --- Biology --- Habitable planets --- Life --- Environmental aspects --- Origin --- Observations, Astronomical. --- Astronomy—Observations. --- Cancer research. --- Climate change. --- Radiation protection. --- Radiation—Safety measures. --- Radiation monitoring --- Radiation protection --- Cancer research --- Astronomical observations --- Observations, Astronomical --- Global environmental change