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Earth might survive Sun's death, scientists claim
New York Post • • science
Key Points:
- A new study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics suggests that Earth might survive the sun's fiery death, contrary to previous beliefs that it would be engulfed.
- Researchers, led by Mats Esseldeurs from KU Leuven, studied stellar evolution and a dying star, L2 Puppis, to model the sun's future expansion into a red giant and then an AGB star before becoming a white dwarf.
- The fate of Earth depends on a balance between gravitational tidal forces pulling it in and stellar wind causing the sun to lose mass, potentially allowing Earth to move to a wider orbit and avoid destruction.
- The exact outcome remains uncertain due to unclear rates of mass loss in aging stars, requiring further observations for a definitive prediction.
- Regardless of Earth's survival, the planet will become uninhabitable long before the sun’s death, making it unlikely for humanity to endure the sun’s transformation.
