A Glimpse into the Sun’s Demise
In about 6 billion years, the Sun will exhaust its hydrogen and enter the red giant phase. As it expands, it will likely swallow the closest planets, including Mercury and Venus. Earth might also be at risk, but recent findings offer a glimmer of hope. Astronomers have observed a distant system, 4,000 light-years away, where an Earth-like planet survived by orbiting a white dwarf, a star that was once a red giant. Phew!
Key Factor: The Sun’s Mass Loss and Expansion
As the Sun burns through its hydrogen, it will lose mass, which could cause Earth to stealthily migrate to a farther orbit, escaping the vaporization zone. This appears to have happened in the system recently discovered. The planet, originally at a distance similar to Earth’s from its star, had its orbit doubled due to the expansion of its star. However, hold off on popping the champagne, as experts stress that the system observed is not an exact replica of our Solar System.
Technology Enhancing Discoveries
The observation was made possible by a technique known as gravitational microlensing
, where the gravity of a celestial object bends and amplifies the light from a background star. This phenomenon allowed astronomers to deduce the existence of a white dwarf and its planet. This type of analysis paves the way for studying distant systems that are beyond the reach of traditional exoplanet detection methods.
Possible Survival, But At What Cost?
If Earth does manage to evade engulfment by the Sun, it will still become uninhabitable long before that occurs. In a billion years, an uncontrolled greenhouse effect will vaporize Earth’s oceans, making life unsustainable. So, chances are, we won’t witness any of this. Nevertheless, the notion that Earth could survive beyond the red giant phase of the Sun, even under such extreme conditions, offers a captivating glimpse into our planet’s distant future.
Hi, my name is Disha and I’m a passionate writer and editor at “Jason Deegan”. With a keen interest in all things tech, I strive to bring you the latest news and updates from the world of high-tech.