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Nearby, Galactic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) may affect the terrestrial biota iftheir radiation is beamed towards the Earth. Compact stellar binary mergers arepossible central engines of short GRBs and their rate could be boosted inglobular clusters. Globular cluster typically follow well defined orbits aroundthe galactic center. Therefore their position relative to the solar system canbe calculated back in time. This fact is used to demonstrate that globularcluster - solar system encounters define possible points in time when a nearbyGRB could have exploded. Additionally, potential terrestrial signatures in thegeological record connected to such an event are discussed. Assuming rates ofGRBs launched in globular cluster found from the redshift distribution of shortburst and adopting the current globular cluster space-density around the solarsystem it is found that the expected minimal distance d_min for such a GRB inthe last Gyr is in the range d_min ~ 1 - 3.5 kpc. From the average gamma-rayluminosity of a short GRB significant depletion of the terrestrial ozone-layeris expected if such an event explodes at a distance of ~1 kpc. In the last Gyra few globular cluster passages are expected within a distance of d_min fromthe solar system and a GRB should have exploded during one of these passages.Globular cluster - solar system encounters and events of mass extinction in thehistory of life can be correlated to investigate the impact of a nearby GRB onthe terrestrial biota. To explore such a correlation reliable globular clusterpositions relative to the solar system have to be calculated for the time spanof the fossil record of the last 600 Myr. The upcoming GAIA mission will becrucial to determine the possible time intervals of the occurrence of nearbyGRBs launched in globular clusters.

Occurrence of potentially hazardous GRBs launched in globular clusters