What will happen to the Sun when it reaches the end of its life cycle??

What will happen to the Sun when it reaches the end of its life cycle??
It becomes a red dwarf, blossoms outward, then shrinks back and eventually turns into a dead cinder. It won't nova, if you might be wondering, because it doesn't have enough mass.

It when the sun dies out it becomes a Planet like mars, earth, and venus


DwayneD.L.Rabon

sun will extend its surface beyond orbits of Earth and Mars and will look deep red and be cooler then it is now->red gian phase->the atmosphere of the sun will be blown away into space->planetray nebula->degenerate dense core of the sun with same mass as the sun now condensed into volume of Earth now->white dwarf->black dwarf
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To make story short, humans have no choise but to leave their homeland...Of course we might make Earth a spaceship, capable of traveling through space...but thats just a hypothesis.

To tell you the truth...I just dont think human civilization will be alive to witness any of these...I hope I am wrong
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1.http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~terrell/redgnt.jpg
2.http://www.cosmographica.com/gallery/portfolio/portfolio051/images/092-WhiteDwarfStar.jpg
3.http://www.windows.ucar.edu/cool_stuff/images/buttons2/black_dwarf.gif

Humans won't be here to see the death of our sun, either we will be burnt up or have flown away to another solar system that will give humans another home.

You are an optimist, cosmic traveler. Humans dont cherish life enough to be alive to witness the degeneration of our sun. If we cant even deal with ourselves, all these wars and such, then we want have much chance in this universe at all.

draqon ........

It's better to believe that humans can solve their problems rather than they can't. I always believe that deep down humans want peace but they have to fight about it.

Right...I just want to leave this planet, before I will be engulfed in their wars. And I am doing all I can to do so.

draqon .......

Or try and stop the wars before they happen.

... And how do you propose to do that? especially now when Iran has almost gained nuclear weapons...?

Humans won't be here to see the death of our sun, either we will be burnt up or have flown away to another solar system that will give humans another home.

In another billion years or so, the sun's continuing evolution into a Red Giant will have long since done away with the human and animal species. In a billion years, maybe even less, forget about life on this earth. If you're one of the 'unlucky' ones still hanging around on earth in a billion years, better start early and buy a super airconditioner or better yet, book a ticket to Alpha Centari or to some other parts unknown. :D

... some other parts unknown..... :D
yup...parts unknown...

This site is very informative about the future history of the Sun.
http://www-astronomy.mps.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Lectures/vistas97.html

Note that the Sun grows slowly brighter until it is 10% in a billion years time, which will probablly lead to a moist greenhouse on our planet.

But the Sun doesn't become a red giant until 5 billion years from now, and goes through several different stages, a subgiant stage, a helium flash, two separate red giant phases (neither of which are big enough to encompass the Earth's orbit apparently) a planetary nebula phase and a white dwarf phase.
The Seven Ages of the Sun
Hydrogen Burning Phase:
10.6 Gyr
First Red Giant Phase:
1.3 Gyr
Helium Burning Phase:
100 Myr
Second Red Giant Phase:
20 Myr
Unstable Pulsation Phase:
400,000 yr
Planetary Nebula Phase:
10,000 yr
White Dwarf Phase:
forever….

eburacum...
first thing, white dwarf phase doesnt last forever but changes into black dwarf
second thing, humans will either adapt the planet Earth or destroy it, there want be any greenhouse. Humans will change the landscape of Earth, either to desolate post-nuclear or high rise story buildings.

And no...its not pessimism...its logical truth... In fact if I was a pessimist, then Ill say there want be any Earth at all, because humans will simply destroy it and die themselves in one of their wars.

regarding humans being around in a billion years, i would think that the possibility that we will be wiped out by an asteroid first to be quite high. enough time for it to happen on several occasions in fact.

regarding humans being around in a billion years, i would think that the possibility that we will be wiped out by an asteroid first to be quite high. enough time for it to happen on several occasions in fact.

It must be that I dont believe in human society or something...but, will we be alive when this astroid will hit the earth?

Indeed, the White dwarf phase does change into a black dwarf. But there is no further change in the composition of our star after that, except for cooling.

You are right; if human civilisation is still around in a billion years time they will be able to try to protect the Earth against the effects of a 10% increase in solar output; for istance they could put up a sunshade.
Here is an image I have made of just such a sunshade, designed for use in the terraforming of Venus;
http://www.orionsarm.com/worlds/statites.jpg

if such a shade were built it could maintain habitable temperatures on Earth, (and on Venus, for that matter) for the next five billion years. After that it gets a bit hairy.

And as far as asteroids are concerned, a civilisation which has existed for millions of years in the same solar system, let alone billions, is likely to have exploited all the asteroid resources and converted them into habitats and other structures.

In a solar system which is fully developed all the objects which might impact the Earth would be under control of one sort or another, so accidental impacts should not occur.

It's taken Humans (roughly) about 5,000,000 years to diverge from apes to the point we've reached now. It will take a thousand times that long for the sun to go nova. All that time, the sun is losing mass at the rate of 4 million tons/second, because of the fusion-reaction of hydrogen to helium. This means that the sun is losing the equivelant of the mass of the Earth about every 43,000,000 years. The Sun's rotation is also slowing down, so it's shedding angular momentum and the planets are picking it up and moving away. When the Sun goes into its red-giant phase, Earth will have shifted out to the orbit of Mars, and Venus will be about where Earth is now. (I read this in a New Scientist article a few years ago, BTW) So we'll be a lot warmer, but not cooked to a frazzle. (hopefully). Besides, if things get too hot on Earth, we'll just move to Mars (or Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, which will have their atmospheres burned off). Anyway, I'd be talking about creatures which have superceded Humanity, which'll probably be extinct for billions of years by then.

It's taken Humans (roughly) about 5,000,000 years to diverge from apes to the point we've reached now. It will take a thousand times that long for the sun to go nova. All that time, the sun is losing mass at the rate of 4 million tons/second, because of the fusion-reaction of hydrogen to helium. This means that the sun is losing the equivelant of the mass of the Earth about every 43,000,000 years. The Sun's rotation is also slowing down, so it's shedding angular momentum and the planets are picking it up and moving away. When the Sun goes into its red-giant phase, Earth will have shifted out to the orbit of Mars, and Venus will be about where Earth is now. (I read this in a New Scientist article a few years ago, BTW) So we'll be a lot warmer, but not cooked to a frazzle. (hopefully). Besides, if things get too hot on Earth, we'll just move to Mars (or Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, which will have their atmospheres burned off). Anyway, I'd be talking about creatures which have superceded Humanity, which'll probably be extinct for billions of years by then.
u sure its 5,000,000 years from apeas to humans and not from bacteria to humans?

u sure its 5,000,000 years from apeas to humans and not from bacteria to humans?

Yes, it's about that time from apes to Humans, in terms of the time we seperated from the same line of descent as them.

Incidentally, I adhere to the idea of star lifting (Criswell, 1985), i.e., removing mass of the Sun, so it won't become a red giant. Hence, it would exist as a white dwarf during a prolongued period of time. But I don't know if life on Earth could exist under the feeble rays of a white dwarf

If you practice Star Lifting you could illuminate the Earth for billions of years by fusing the hydrogen you have extracted. Just put a ring of artificial sunlets round the Earth ()and any other planet you want to live on) and fuse the hydrogen gradually.
A large proportion of the hydrogen in a Sun-like star never gets fused anyway; this is much more efficient.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_lifting

When the Sun runs out of hydrogen in it's core, the core with contract and heat up, thos will cause the hydrogen just outside the core to start fusion. This hydrogen shell fusion gives off more energy than core fusion, causing the outer layers to puff out and cool, the density of the gas in red giants outer layers is extremely thin, thin enough it would be considered a near vacuum on earth. The sun's core continues to contract untill it becomes hot enough for the fusion of helium into carbon and oxygen to start, this causes the core to expand again, slowing the hydrogen fusion surrounding the core, causing the outer layers of the star to become more dense and hot again. When the Helium buring stops the core contracts and the outer layers puff out again. The sun is not massive enough to fuse heavier elements, and it enters the Asymptomic Red Giant phase, and becomes a Mira-type variable. There is no core fusion but there is still an inner shell of fusing helium and an outer shell of fusing hydrogen. The fusion in the helium-buring shell is extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and presure, causing the pulsations typical of stars like Mira. The pulsations eventually become powerful enough to lift the outer layers from the core, creating a planetary nebula, and the core becomes a white dwarf the size of the earth, which slowly cools from then on.

Chances are the Sun will never run out of hydrogen, if our Solar system is unlucky enough in the collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, current measurements suggest that in about five billion years the Milky Way and Andromeda will most likely collide.

Chances are the Sun will never run out of hydrogen, if our Solar system is unlucky enough in the collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, current measurements suggest that in about five billion years the Milky Way and Andromeda will most likely collide.

Any good calendar dates on when that event is going to happen?

God damn, your lame.
Don't you ever get tired of... "Don't forget to check your watch" or "Don't forget to mark your calendar" or any one of a hundred other hackneyed and boring smartass phrases you've posted in your many guises?
At least you're predictable. Never have to guess who Norman is this week...

By the way, since you're so dependent upon the forums for your entertainment and all, have you donated to the cause yet?

Chances are the Sun will never run out of hydrogen, if our Solar system is unlucky enough in the collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, current measurements suggest that in about five billion years the Milky Way and Andromeda will most likely collide.


The Sun has a finite amount of hydrogen. It has to run out sometime. The figure I have seen most often is about 5 billion years.

The Sun has a finite amount of hydrogen. It has to run out sometime. The figure I have seen most often is about 5 billion years.

After another 5 billion years after the sun reaches the Red Giant stage, the sun's starts a 5 billion year march to become a White Dwarf star. Question. How long does it remain a White Dwarf? Any guesses? :D

Chances are the Sun will never run out of hydrogen, if our Solar system is unlucky enough in the collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, current measurements suggest that in about five billion years the Milky Way and Andromeda will most likely collide.

There is enough space between stars that galactic mergers will only affect thier orbits, there will be no collisions between individual stars.

After another 5 billion years after the sun reaches the Red Giant stage, the sun's starts a 5 billion year march to become a White Dwarf star. Question. How long does it remain a White Dwarf? Any guesses? :D


I am not absolutely sure, but I think you are off on your time scales. I think the red giant stage is pretty short, in terms of a star's life. The collapse to a white dwarf comes fairly quickly, as soon as the helium fuel runs out.

As the star collapses, it heats up a great deal. This is why it is white. It will last a long time as a white dwarf. It has only a relatively small surface area to radiate the residual heat. How long? 100's of billions of years, maybe a trillion.

Unless it comes close to another star and sucks off enough mass. If it reaches 1.4 solar masses...BOOM...Type 1A supernova.

There is enough space between stars that galactic mergers will only affect thier orbits, there will be no collisions between individual stars.

True. Even with 100's of billions of stars involved, the odds of direct collisions between stars is pretty small.

I have seen one computer prediction made by NASA that the Milky Way and Andromeda will collide in about 3 billion years, followed by a second collision 1 or 2 billion years after that. Both galaxies will have a lot of stars thrown out of them by these collisions. Following the second collision, the two galaxies will merge into one.

The Sun has a finite amount of hydrogen. It has to run out sometime. The figure I have seen most often is about 5 billion years.
Not if it explodes before that, however I agree that the chances in our region are pretty small.
There is enough space between stars that galactic mergers will only affect thier orbits, there will be no collisions between individual stars.
Uhu, but there's still a chance and there most likely will be collisions in the more packed regions (which we aren't a part ot).
Besides we don't need some other star to crash into our Sun,
if we'll be on the galactic side which will have the first contact and happen to be unlucky enough, gamma ray bursts will probably boil our atmosphere away.


However I still think and suspect that it won't be another star or a gamma ray burst, but our Sun in the red giant stage when the Earth ceases to be habitable by any life form.

So we'd either have to get further away from it or die.
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Most scientists agree that the Milky Way will cross paths with the Andromeda galaxy in about three billion years. Both galaxies are now spiral in shape, though Andromeda is about twice as large as the Milky Way.

The galaxies are separated by about 2.2 million light years (one light-year is about 6 trillion miles, or 10 trillion kilometers). That gap is closing at about 310,000 miles per hour (500,000 kph).

While a collision appears inevitable, astronomers admit that the sideways motion of Andromeda -- the galaxy’s speed perpendicular to its forward path toward the Milky Way -- could affect the encounter’s timing, but it has yet to be measured precisely. Dubinksi used an estimate of 12.4 miles per second (20 km per second) for his collision model.

"Even if the galaxies have a wider passage on the first pass, if they are on a bound orbit they are destined to merge eventually," Dubinski said. "If not on the first flyby, then within the second or third pass over the next 10 billion yearsb, he added.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/galaxy_collides_020507-1.html

So it seems my 5 billion date was outdated. It's either 3 or 10

I have seen one computer prediction made by NASA that the Milky Way and Andromeda will collide in about 3 billion years, followed by a second collision 1 or 2 billion years after that. Both galaxies will have a lot of stars thrown out of them by these collisions. Following the second collision, the two galaxies will merge into one.
What is more interesting is that the super massive black holes at the centre of the galaxies are going to merge. Any after-effects from that?

if i am correct the sun isn't big enough to go nova
but it can turn into a red giant

according to all we know - it surely will

according to all we know - it surely will
Supernovas can occur in that small percentage of stars having a mass greater than 8 to 10 times the mass of the sun and perhaps in certain binary stars.
http://www.answers.com/topic/supernova

the following is the only thing i can find regarding nova
A nova (pl. novae) is a cataclysmic nuclear explosion caused by the accretion of hydrogen onto the surface of a white dwarf star.
http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Nova&curtab=2222_1&linktext=Nova

I was talking about the red giant, not the sun going nova
sorry if I was not clear enough about it