Study Says Earth Could Escape Sun’s Red Giant in 5 Billion Years
Updated
Updated · EarthSky · Jun 28
Study Says Earth Could Escape Sun’s Red Giant in 5 Billion Years
3 articles · Updated · EarthSky · Jun 28
Summary
New calculations from researchers in Belgium and France suggest Earth may avoid being swallowed when the sun expands into a red giant about 5 billion years from now.
The result hinges on a balance between two forces: weaker-than-expected tidal dissipation inside the giant sun, which reduces inward drag, and solar mass loss, which can push Earth into a wider orbit.
Mercury and Venus are still expected to be engulfed, while Mars also appears likely to survive because its orbit is farther out.
Even if Earth escapes the expanding sun, the study says its surface would still become hostile to life; the peer-reviewed paper was published June 19 in Astronomy & Astrophysics.