What Will Happen to the Earth When the Sun Dies?

Our Sun won't last forever. Dr. Carolyn Brinkworth explains the ramifications for our home planet in this "Ask an Astronomer" video.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• physical
• science
• astronomy
• sun
• earth
• red
• giant
• star
• death
• destruction
• doom
• gloom
• planetary
• nebula

[0willbecome100]

I heard the tidal effect the Earth has on the Sun will ultimately destroy it. do you think this is the most likely outcome

[SpitzerJim]

There has been some research that hints that even if the Sun doesn't become big enough to consume the Earth, Earth's gravity will still cause plasma to bubble up and engulf it anyway.  No matter what the specific outcome, though, it's bad news for habitability. Luckily it's still a long time off.

[GuruGulu]

Will our sun help make new stars?

[SpitzerJim]

Perhaps. Some of the material shed by the Sun will end up mixing back up into deep space and could one day begin coalescing into new stars. Typically, though, we think of supernovas from much more massive stars than the Sun as the ones that help trigger new star formation.

[beesan]

Wait, can't we terraform Mars before the Sun turns into Red Giant?

[SpitzerJim]

There have been a lot of proposals written up about terraforming Mars. There are a lot of technological challenges, plus the fact that when you make Mars warm enough for humans to live comfortably on, oxygen in the atmosphere starts hitting escape velocity and leaking off into space, making it a poor long-term choice for terraforming.

[Anethredon]

I DON'T WANNA DIE!!

[StevoElsupremo]

gotta wonder what planets have existsed before us and thrived only to die, its interesting

[MAMOHT82]

- NOT!

[MidniteWhispers23]

what do u mean its only a prediction?!?! a prediction after seeing the result of trilloins of other suns die out and create nebulas and white dwards!!!

[IwantaBarqsrootbeer]

This is only a prediction.....It does not mean this will happen. The sun will likely NOT turn into red giant. However, Venus may be inhabitable even though it is the hottest planet right now.

[0willbecome100]

Mars may Terraform by itself during the Red Giant phase

[IwantaBarqsrootbeer]

what if the sun just came from red giant going to white dwarf.

[FLAME4564]

lolz k eventualy the matter left from the planetary nebula from our dead sun will yes will indeed help make new stars as it gets blown off and eventualy collapses into more new birthclouds to form new suns and possibly new planets like another earth and perhaps more new life and also since mars and the other giant planets will be far away they will survive however planets like jupiter will just collapse and be stripped to their core like saturn will be.