New Study Suggests Earth May Survive Sun’s Death
News Desk
Islamabad: A new scientific study has challenged the long-held belief that Earth will inevitably be destroyed when the Sun reaches the end of its life, suggesting instead that the planet could survive by moving into a more distant orbit.
The research, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, was led by Mats Esselders of the Institute of Astronomy at KU Leuven University in Belgium. The study draws on advanced models of stellar evolution and observations of a nearby dying star, L2 Puppis, to reassess the possible fate of Earth.
Scientists estimate that in about five billion years, the Sun will exhaust the hydrogen fuel in its core. As a result, it will expand dramatically, first becoming a red giant and later entering the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase, the final stage of a Sun-like star’s life before it sheds its outer layers and contracts into a white dwarf.
For decades, astronomers believed that the Sun’s expansion during these final stages would engulf the inner planets, including Mercury, Venus and Earth, leading to the planet’s complete destruction.
However, the new study presents an alternative scenario. Researchers say Earth’s ultimate fate will depend on the balance between two competing processes during the Sun’s final evolution.
As the Sun expands, its gravitational interactions could gradually pull Earth inward, eventually causing the planet to be swallowed. On the other hand, the Sun is also expected to lose a significant amount of its mass by ejecting material into space.
This mass loss would weaken the Sun’s gravitational pull, potentially allowing Earth to drift into a wider orbit and escape engulfment.
According to the researchers, the outcome will depend on how rapidly the Sun loses mass compared with the strength of its gravitational interaction with Earth.
“If the Sun’s gravitational influence remains dominant, Earth could still be engulfed,” the researchers noted. “But if mass loss becomes the stronger effect, the planet may migrate outward and survive.”
Esselders said it is still impossible to determine with certainty what will happen billions of years from now, but the findings open up the possibility that Earth may not disappear entirely when the Sun reaches the end of its life.
The researchers say the study marks an important step in understanding how stars and their planetary systems evolve, and could help scientists better predict the fate of solar systems across the universe.
