Earth May Escape Being Swallowed by Dying Sun, New Study Suggests
PARIS: Scientists have offered a rare piece of good news about the distant future of Earth, suggesting the planet may avoid being swallowed by the dying Sun.
For decades, astronomers believed Earth would eventually be engulfed when the Sun expands into a red giant and later an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star, a process expected to occur in about five billion years. During this phase, powerful gravitational interactions were thought to pull Earth inward until it was consumed.
death of the sun
However, a new study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics indicates the outcome may not be so certain. Researchers found that tidal forces inside the expanding Sun could be weaker than previously estimated. At the same time, the Sun is expected to lose a significant amount of mass through stellar winds, reducing its gravitational pull and pushing Earth into a wider orbit.
According to lead author Mats Esseldeurs of Belgium’s University of Leuven, Earth’s fate depends on the balance between these opposing effects. If solar mass loss dominates, the planet could survive beyond the Sun’s outer edge rather than being engulfed.
