New research reveals the timeline for Earth's ultimate fate as astronomers discover a planet orbiting a dead star, offering a chilling glimpse into our solar system's future.
Will Earth ever cease to exist? Research by astronomers has provided crucial information regarding this question. A planet has been identified orbiting the dying remnants of its star, offering a glimpse into the fate of our world billions of years from now. This recently discovered planet is located approximately 4,000 light-years away from Earth. A light-year is a unit of measurement for distances in space, representing the distance light travels in one year. This planet now drifts through space unbound, having been cast into the cold depths of space as its star died.
Astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley, using a powerful telescope in Hawaii, took a fresh look at this planetary system. They believe that this planet was once part of a thriving solar system, much like our own.
Also read: Harry Potter star Dame Maggie Smith passes away at 89: What made her so popular?
Hope for Life on This Planet
The findings of the space scientists' research revealed that this Earth-sized planet orbits a white dwarf, the dense, smoldering core of a dead star. The star's death has transformed this planet into a desolate and lifeless rock, a place where there was once hope for life.
Earth May Escape Being Engulfed by the Red Giant Sun
The lead author of the research, Keming Zhang, a postdoctoral fellow at UC San Diego, explained that our Earth could meet the same fate. There is no consensus yet on whether Earth can escape being engulfed by the expanding red giant Sun. Earth will only remain habitable for about another billion years. The Earth's oceans will evaporate due to a runaway greenhouse effect.
The Sun Is Not Immortal
Zhang and his colleagues pointed out that the Sun is not immortal. Our star's slow death is expected to begin in about a billion years, transforming it into a red giant. Its fiery expansion will consume Mercury and Venus. Earth might escape this inferno for a while. However, even if the Sun's expansion doesn't completely engulf our planet, the ensuing changes will render Earth uninhabitable. The oceans will vaporize, leaving behind a barren wasteland.