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'The fate of Earth depends on a delicate balance': Our planet may survive the death of the sun after all, n...
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- New research using advanced stellar evolution models suggests Earth may survive the sun’s expansion into a red giant and subsequent phases, escaping engulfment by moving to a wider orbit due to solar mass loss.
- The sun’s fate involves a balance between tidal forces pulling Earth inward and mass loss weakening the sun’s gravity, with Earth's survival dependent on which effect dominates.
- Observations of the dying star L2 Puppis, which is losing mass and possibly hosting a massive planet, informed the models and support the possibility of Earth’s survival, though Mercury and Venus are predicted to be engulfed.
- Uncertainties remain primarily around the amount of mass the sun will lose in its late stages, and future observations, including those from the upcoming ESA PLATO mission, will refine predictions about Earth’s fate.
- The study offers a hopeful alternative to the previously accepted scenario of Earth’s inevitable destruction as the sun dies, highlighting the complex dynamics of stellar evolution and planetary survival.
