I have a story that might or might not need a possible astronomical disaster. Obvious choices include asteroids and supernovas, but the first is cliche, and the latter unlikely in the extreme. Anybody have some suggestions?
Realistic Astronomical Dangers
- Thread starter Liosse de Velishaf
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Solar flares? A drifting cloud of nebular gas or debris finally hitting the area your story is in?
I like Bardskye's suggestions, especially the solar flare. A big enough one and it could cook a lot of things. But don't let the fact that asteroids are cliched stop you from using that as well. It's all in the execution. Perhaps a rogue asteriod could hit the sun and cause a year or so of intense solar flair activity...
Primordial creatures at the center of the earth seeded there by an alien/cyber/celestial race eat the core of the world, causing the planet to destabilize and fall apart 
Hmm... The solar flare is a good suggestion, but it's a bit too local.
Basically, the prime plot of the story involves an enormous atronsomical survey with sub-generation space ships. I have some earthly impetus for it, but I was thinking an extra-terrestrial reason would help explain why people would be willing to spend such a large portion of Earth's resources.
Basically, the prime plot of the story involves an enormous atronsomical survey with sub-generation space ships. I have some earthly impetus for it, but I was thinking an extra-terrestrial reason would help explain why people would be willing to spend such a large portion of Earth's resources.
Extra comets, maybe one hitting or skimming Earth - proposed reason for this is some big mass is in or has come through the Oort Cloud, perturbing the solar orbits of many of the iceballs there and sending them into the inner system. Short term there's not much they can do, but longterm another massive body found to be approaching the Oort Cloud could possibly be diverted.
Well, there's Betelgeuse, but that's unlikely to cause any problems for Earth, unfortunately for you (but fortunately for Earth).
Micro-meteorites are small and can move very fast. It's like your ship being shot with a rail gun.
The cloud of particles isn't a bad idea. They can be charged particles if you like. Stars can spit out some pretty weird stuff.
Radiation: Even seemingly innocuous gas giants can generate some very odd radiation that could impact a crew negatively.
Dark matter is most likely the very stuff of which you are made. A poetic name, but all it really means is that it's matter that doesn't glow. Older theories allowed it, but more modern thinking is that most of the universe is not incandescent gas (i.e. a star). We used to think the sun was most of the mass in the solar system, but that was because we couldn't detect most of that mass with older equipment.
Space junk. The area around Earth is littered with fast moving garbage that we've left there. Similar to the micro-meteorite idea, but with the added don't litter message. Even water is litter in space because it turns into ice that can smack into other travelers.
Black holes are always fun, but they would be detectable long before you passed the no-escape zone.
The cloud of particles isn't a bad idea. They can be charged particles if you like. Stars can spit out some pretty weird stuff.
Radiation: Even seemingly innocuous gas giants can generate some very odd radiation that could impact a crew negatively.
Dark matter is most likely the very stuff of which you are made. A poetic name, but all it really means is that it's matter that doesn't glow. Older theories allowed it, but more modern thinking is that most of the universe is not incandescent gas (i.e. a star). We used to think the sun was most of the mass in the solar system, but that was because we couldn't detect most of that mass with older equipment.
Space junk. The area around Earth is littered with fast moving garbage that we've left there. Similar to the micro-meteorite idea, but with the added don't litter message. Even water is litter in space because it turns into ice that can smack into other travelers.
Black holes are always fun, but they would be detectable long before you passed the no-escape zone.
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