Astronomers Say Dying Sun Will Engulf Earth 343
iamlucky13 writes "A minor academic debate among astronomers is the final fate of the earth. As the sun ages and enters the red giant stage of its life, it will heat up, making the earth inhospitable. It will also expand, driven by helium fusion so that its outer layers reach past the earth's current orbit. Previously it had been believed that the sun would lose enough mass to allow earth to escape to a more distant orbit, lifeless but intact. However, new calculations, which take into account tidal forces and drag from mass shed by the sun, suggest that the earth will have sufficiently slowed in that time to be dragged down to its utter destruction in 7.6 billion years. "
Armageddon (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:The Y7.6B Problem ...? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Seems easy enough. (Score:5, Interesting)
Despite the fact that we only have 7.6 billion years to get the computations correct, I have a feeling that we'll be able to get it done right by then. (Either that or evacuate our Dyson Sphere. Whichever comes first.)
Re:Interesting Note (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:I don't believe it. (Score:2, Interesting)
> someone will do something crazy or stupid and destroy the entire planet.
Panel member: If you were to meet these Vegans, and were permitted only one question to ask of them, what would it be?
Ellie Arroway: Well, I suppose it would be, how did you do it? How did you evolve, how did you survive this technological adolescence without destroying yourself?
Re:Armageddon (Score:2, Interesting)
Reminds me of this meteorite collision animation [youtube.com]; not realistic, but interesting nonetheless.
Re:Seems easy enough. (Score:3, Interesting)