![]() Some 10 billion red giants blaze today in the Milky Way Galaxy. So, it’s possible that, in its death throes, our Sun may seed new life. Hydrocarbons that could contribute to life’s emergence are already there, though. After that, the Sun’s luminosity will dim to the point where these new water worlds will permanently refreeze. Alan Stern of NASA’s Science MIssion Directorate, “but hundreds - all the icy moons of the gas giants, as well as the icy dwarf planets of the Kuiper Belt.” Pluto’s temperature, says Stern, will resemble that of Miami Beach.Ī question Stern and other planetary scientists are asking: Will the outer worlds with newfound water evolve life in the relatively brief intervals they have to do so? The liquid water on these worlds might exist for only a few hundred million years. “Our solar system will then harbor not one world with surface oceans,” says astronomer S. And, in response, the Sun will expand by 100 times.Īs the swollen Sun incinerates the solar system’s inner planets, its outer icy worlds will melt and transform into oases of water for tens or hundreds of millions of years. In one of the most peculiar transformations we know of, the Sun’s helium core, about the size of a giant planet, will contract and heat up. Learn More >.Īt that point, its main sequence phase is over. We’re excited to announce Astronomy magazine’s new Space and Beyond subscription box – a quarterly adventure, curated with an astronomy-themed collection in every box. ![]() When the Sun runs out of hydrogen fuel, it must generate energy by fusing heavier elements.īringing the universe to your door. ![]() Its adulthood, called the main sequence phase, lasts 10 billion years. Billions of years from now, the Sun’s finale will turn Earth - and the entire inner solar system - into a very nasty place.Īt 4.6 billion years old, the Sun is about halfway through its life. Yet the Sun will not always be steady and reliable. Little wonder ancient peoples revered the Sun as a god. It’s as regular as clockwork, and it sets our daily life cycles in conjunction with Earth’s spin. ![]() It bathes the solar system with light and heat, making life possible on Earth. ![]()
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