The future looks bright for the Earth - but not in the way we'd hoped. The slim chance our planet will survive when the Sun begins its death throes has been ruled out.
In a few billion years, the Sun will fuse the last of its hydrogen into helium, turn into a red giant and expand to 250 times its current size. At first, the Sun's loss of mass will loosen its gravitational pull on Earth, which will allow the planet to migrate to a wider orbit about 7.6 billion years from now.
This process has led some to speculate that the Earth might escape destruction - but survival now seems impossible, says Peter Schröder of the University of Guanajuato in Mexico and Robert Smith of the University of Sussex in the UK.
They created the most detailed model to date of the Sun's transition to a red giant, based on observations of six nearby red giant stars. Sure enough, they found that Earth's orbit will widen at first. But Earth will also induce a "tidal bulge" on the Sun's surface, with its own gravitational pull. The bulge will lag just behind the Earth in its orbit, slowing it down enough to drag it to a fiery demise.
There is one last hope for anybody still living on Earth, the researchers say. In the past, some have suggested that Earth's orbit could be tweaked by arranging the fly-by of a nearby asteroid to tug at it. This method could potentially maintain Earth's speed enough to keep it in a widening orbit, they say.
Journal reference: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13022.x)
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Why? So What!!
Fri Feb 22 19:19:24 GMT 2008 by Jeff Dionne
Why do we spend money on reseach like this, which would not effect anyone, and cannot even be proven.
We should spend time on money on reseach that would accually improve life for the people of earth!
To me this just Science Fiction!
Why? So What!!
Fri Feb 22 20:01:59 GMT 2008 by Dan
I suppose someone on the Titanic could have said, "Why do we spend money on iceberg reseach, which would not effect anyone, and cannot even be proven. We should spend time on money accually improving life for the passengers of the Titanic!"
Why? So What!!
Mon Feb 25 21:45:36 GMT 2008 by Jeff Dionne
What does the Titanic (sunkin boat) and an iceburg(something real!) have anything to do with 7 billion years into a Sci-fi future?
Why? So What!!
Tue Feb 26 03:03:29 GMT 2008 by Anon
Because earth is like a ship we are all on?
And ice-bergs are just placeholders for your doom of choice. Either way it looks more like doom, if you don't get toasted you might freeze.
Why? So What!!
Wed Feb 27 14:54:42 GMT 2008 by Ed Tarbster
It's a SUNKEN ship and it's an analogy, likening one thing to another to prove a point ^__^ I think it's an interesting story due to the fact that one day, a long time from now our sun will burn out causing it to become a red giant. Hopefully we'll have colonised other solar systems or inhabitable planets by then, but if not, we're boned (well, whatever creatures, if any, that live on earth will be boned.) Good luck to them. >__<
Why? So What!!
Fri Feb 22 21:01:58 GMT 2008 by Shaun Steenkamp
Ok, imagine for a moment it's a 1000 years in the future, and the human race is starting to colonise planets in other star systems. Wouldn't you expect this research to help in deciding whether or not a certain planet will survive that stars demise which might be on the order of a million years instead of a few billion? (Take into account the cost of colonisation, a planet will be a huge investment, you'll need to know if it will survive).
All research we do on our own star, and how it works and dies will help in the not too distant future, just because our sun will survive for a few billion years yet, doesn't mean that the research is not applicable to a comparable star out there in it's final stages of life.
Why? So What!!
Mon Feb 25 21:50:20 GMT 2008 by Jeff Dionne
In a 1000 years nothing we are doing now is going to matter much.
By then if the human race doesn't annihilate it self I am sure our science can handle it then, we haven't even sent another man to the moon in 30 years, never mind colonizing another planet
Why? So What!!
Fri Jun 05 17:14:15 BST 2009 by ullrich fischer
You need to read Ray Kurzweil's stuff more. All knowledge is unpredictably useful. Curiosity is above all what make us human and what will allow us to overcome whatever an uncaring universe throws at us.
Why? So What!!
Sat Feb 23 16:58:34 GMT 2008 by Windy
Because in the process of studying the sun's demise, they are also learning more about the sun and how it behaves in its death throes.
That could be extremely important information someday, even if only to provide early warning of a impending threat.
Why? So What!!
Tue Apr 01 04:10:59 BST 2008 by Luis Figo
Its amazing to know the earth, the universe and understand astronomy... It is not science fiction it is true... The earth is going to desapear when the sun becomes a red gigant.... Me you or anybody we all are going to die. But the knowlege to whats is really going to happen is a good knowledge... The article is amazing!
Why? So What!!
Wed Feb 18 23:29:05 GMT 2009 by nigel lowe
It might affect your people in your family in a couple of billion years, assuming that your smart enough to have kids and pass your dumb gene on.
Why? So What!!
Sun Jun 14 12:00:49 BST 2009 by Nicklas
Everything has a beginning and an end. But every end is a new beginning.
This can be applied as a model in astronomy as well. Personally I think the Big Bang is just a cycle in another bigger system just as a chemical reaction between atoms or interaction in the standard model. Just as small particles vibrate, so are new big bangs created.
Why? So What!!
Tue Jul 28 13:59:45 BST 2009 by Me
Science Fiction? You gotta be kidding me. Sounds like someone needs to take a high level math class.
Earth Will Have Been Lifeless For Eons
Fri Feb 22 20:33:56 GMT 2008 by Lindsay
Come now - What has happened to wonder and curiosity? I am just grateful to live in a society where people can explore and wonder and find out things!
There's nothing wrong with adding to our species body of knowlege.
Isn't the Earth going to undergo a run away greenhouse process in about one billion years time? The ever relentless increase in solar luminosity over the suns lifetime means that by about then even a trace component of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will raise planetary temperatures to the extent that the oceans will begin evaporating. The water molecules will themselves further enhance the super greenhouse effect in positive feedback loop. Solar radiation will also disassociate water molecules high in the atmosphere and the hydrogen will leak into space. The planet will inexorably loose its water. That means for about six billion years before the sun goes red giant the Earth will be a lifeless bone dry Venus-like oven. I doubt anything then around our solar system will be too flustered if the Earth does get swallowed in the end but it should be quite sight to behold.
You're Kidding, Right?
Fri Feb 22 20:44:22 GMT 2008 by Darkblak
At least two university researchers actually spent time, and no doubt grant money, to come up with a no-brainer conclusion about something that won't happen for 7.6 BILLION YEARS?? Well, congratulations!
How can I sign up for grant money to study such worthy and time-appropriate natural phenoms?
I'm embarrassed that I have even wasted my time reading and posting to this...or yours.
You're Kidding, Right?
Fri Feb 22 21:37:34 GMT 2008 by Lindsay
Yeah - Thats right they did! That's what they are studying and good for them. By the way at most universities these days students pay through the teeth....or is that the nose?
You're Kidding, Right?
Fri Feb 22 21:54:09 GMT 2008 by Lunatic Fringe
A good angle for you would be - What happens to the moon? You should go for it!
You're Kidding, Right?
Mon Mar 03 09:13:28 GMT 2008 by Enthralled Peasant
Methinks the moon will be lost long before then. It will have migrated outward beyond the earth's hill sphere and have entered into a solar orbit.
You're Kidding, Right?
Tue Mar 04 02:15:05 GMT 2008 by James
People may thinks it is pointless research, but as far i can see knowledge in one field brings advancement in other fields. Thats why you have non stick frypan and easy wash paint, because of NASA.
You're Kidding, Right?
Fri Apr 04 12:30:21 BST 2008 by Gilbert
Me thinks that me no understandz whats the hellz u guyz are talkings about. So me gonna say that the earthzz is going to blow up with the sun because of the intensorosity of the blow. Good Night.
You're Kidding, Right?
Tue Dec 16 08:01:34 GMT 2008 by Charles
That's an urban myth. Teflon was invented in 1938, well before NASA.
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