• Question: when will the sun crash into the earth

    Asked by coolscientist to Ed, Hayley, Jason, Nathan, Sophie on 14 Mar 2013.
    • Photo: Edward Bovill

      Edward Bovill answered on 14 Mar 2013:

      In about 4 billion years time the Sun will run out hydrogen fuel and start to die. When this happens it will start to expand (like blowing up a balloon) and eventually get so big that it engulfs the Earth. It will get redder as it expands and at that point will become a ‘red giant’ star. After a long time it will start to collapse back on itself and shrink down to form a white dwarf star which is smaller than it is now.

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