The scenario is catastrophic and inescapable. The Sun will shine normally for the next several billion years, but its temperature will steadily rise, making living conditions on Earth challenging well before our star’s final convulsions. In approximately 1 billion years, the Sun will be 10% hotter than at present, and some think that this will destabilize the Earth’s climate and biosphere, boiling off most of our water and transforming the surface of our planet into desert. In 3.5 billion years the Sun’s temperature will be 40% higher than now, and temperatures on Earth will be so high that any remaining oceans will have evaporated into space. The Earth will then share the fate of Venus: no water, no life. In 6.5 billion years, the Sun will inflate to become a red giant, triggering hellish conditions in the inner solar system. The Sun’s outer layers will grow to encompass Mercury. Temperatures on Earth will reach 2500◦C, and melt the planet, transforming it into a ball of magma. As it continues to inflate, the Sun will suffer a significant loss of mass and, as a consequence, the orbits of the remaining planets will expand. Venus will be swallowed up, and though Mars may escape, it will not be habitable. The Earth is predicted to barely escape vaporization at the fringes of the red giant’s surface. The giant outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) are likely to survive this cataclysm, but will be modified significantly. After this final fiery gasp, our Sun will evolve into a slowly cooling white dwarf and the entire solar system will become very cold.
Red Giant:
Pic Courtesy: deviantart.com
White Dwarf:
Pic Courtesy: deviantart.com
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