New Study Reveals Earth’s Possible Fate in the Distant Future
Have you ever wondered how the Earth will meet its end? A new study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society sheds light on the most likely scenario for our beloved planet and the rest of the solar system.
Researchers from the University of Warwick have delved into the planetary systems similar to our own to determine what might happen in the future. As we already know, the Sun, our host star, is essential for life on Earth, providing the energy we need to survive.
According to NASA Space Place, the Sun is roughly 4.5 billion years old and is expected to exhaust its energy in billions of years, ultimately evolving into a red giant and then a white dwarf. Red giants are massive and cool stars, while white dwarfs are the remnants of a once powerful nuclear fusion process.
If the Sun becomes a red giant, the Earth will face its consequences, eventually being “pulled” by the Sun’s gravity during its transformation. There is a slim chance that the Earth could escape this fate, but the conditions would be inhospitable for life due to extreme radiation and temperatures.
While Earth’s fate hangs in the balance, Mercury and Venus are doomed to be destroyed immediately. The study also suggests that Earth may be the only planet affected by this event, while gas giants and Mars would be left untouched but without their host star.
Moons and asteroids in the solar system would also meet a similar fate as the first three planets. Scientists predict that this scenario might occur within five billion years, marking the end of the Sun’s lifecycle.
Although humanity may not exist by then, we may witness the heartbreaking end of our home planet. Share the knowledge and prepare for the inevitable fate of our solar system.