A recent study, published in the scientific journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), launches an alarming prediction about the future of our planet and the solar system. Conducted by scientists from the University of Warwick and Naresuan University, the study indicates that Earth and other planets will be “swallowed” by the expanding Sun before it transforms into a white dwarf.
“The sad news is that the Earth will probably be swallowed by an expanding Sun, before becoming a white dwarf”, explains Boris Gaensicke, professor at the University of Warwick, according to a joint statement available on the Royal Astronomical Society website.
Impact Beyond Earth: Mercury, Venus and More on the Path to Destruction
Mercury and Venus are also in the path of destruction of the expanding Sun. Furthermore, solar expansion and white dwarf transformation will have devastating consequences on asteroids, moons and possibly outer planets.
“For the rest of the solar system, some of the asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, and perhaps some of Jupiter’s moons, could be displaced and travel close enough to the eventual white dwarf to undergo the grinding process we investigated,” explains Gaensicke.
17-Year Observations Reveal “Chaotic” Behavior of Celestial Bodies
Scientists have observed changes in the brightness of stars for more than 17 years, identifying a “chaotic” and “disordered” behavior of celestial bodies disturbed by the intense gravity of white dwarfs.
“Previous research has shown that when asteroids, moons and planets approach white dwarfs, the enormous gravity of these stars tears these small planetary bodies into smaller and smaller pieces,” says Amornrat Aungwerojwit, principal investigator at Naresuan University, according to a statement available on the Royal Astronomical Society website.
The Challenge of Space Exploration: Finding a New Home
The study raises concerns about the future of space exploration. If humanity becomes an interplanetary or interstellar species, it will need to find a new home beyond our solar system to escape the Sun’s destructive path.
“It’s not clear whether or not Earth can move fast enough before the Sun catches it and burns it, but if it did, Earth would lose its atmosphere and ocean and wouldn’t be a very pleasant place to live,” he concludes. Gaensicke.
This “terrifying prophecy” is just a prediction, and the study authors warn that Earth’s ultimate fate could be “far more complex than we could ever have imagined.”
2024-04-13 13:00:57
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