The Sun's Next Phase: Can We Avoid Extinction?

[megamind]

The Sun about 4.5 billion years old and in about another billion years will have used up the hydrogen particles in its core and will have to use the ones closer to its surface which will make the sun's surface hotter and possibly make Earth impossible to sustain life. When the sun reaches its next phase, a Red Giant, life on Earth should be extinct, for the sun will have completely engulfed the Earth. I think using gravity from big bodies in space, such as passing meteoroids, to launch us further away from the sun every few million years or so to avoid the effects of its growth and increased combustion is a good idea. Any other ideas?

 

[Drakkith]

To move the Earth you would need an object of comparable mass. More than one actually, if we want to control what happens to our orbit. There are no objects with sufficient mass except for the other planets, so you'd have to move them to move us, in which case you'd be better off just applying whatever technology to move the Earth in the first place.

Of course, a far more likely scenario is that if we still exist as a species we will have colonized other star systems by then, so it is unlikely to be that big of a problem.

 

[Chronos]

The sun will continue to brighten for the next billion years, which will probably away the oceans and render Earth inhospitable. It is not expected to undergo any noteworthy changes for ~ 3 billion years. It will then begin to exhaust its core fuel supply and enter the red giant phase. Earth will definitely become a hostile environment when that occurs.

 

[phyzguy]

If you're interested in the details of the future evolution of the sun, the http://mesa.sourceforge.net/capabilities.html has a very nice movie simulating the sun's evolution. The simulations say that the sun will brighten by about 12% in the next billion years. So the changes will be very slow for a while.

 

[pmacias]

I understand the concern about the Sun's next phase and its potential impact on the Earth and its inhabitants. However, I would like to clarify a few points about this scenario.

Firstly, the Sun's age is estimated to be around 4.6 billion years, which means it is already in its middle age. The depletion of hydrogen in its core and the subsequent use of hydrogen closer to its surface is a natural and inevitable process for all stars, including our Sun. This does not necessarily mean that the Sun will become hotter and make Earth uninhabitable in a billion years.

Secondly, the Sun will not turn into a Red Giant overnight. It is a gradual process that will take millions of years. This means that there is ample time for us to develop advanced technologies and find solutions to sustain life on Earth during this phase.

Now, coming to the proposed solution of using gravity from passing meteoroids to launch us further away from the Sun, while it may seem like a plausible idea, it is not a practical or feasible solution. The gravitational pull of meteoroids is too weak to significantly affect the Earth's orbit around the Sun. Additionally, the amount of energy and resources required to implement such a plan would be enormous and may not be justifiable.

As scientists, it is our responsibility to explore and study alternative solutions and technologies that can potentially help us mitigate the effects of the Sun's next phase. Some ideas that have been proposed include building a giant sunshade or solar reflectors in space, harnessing the Sun's energy through advanced solar technologies, or even terraforming other planets for human habitation. However, it is essential to note that these are all theoretical concepts that require further research and development before they can be implemented.

In conclusion, while the Sun's next phase is a legitimate concern, it is not something that we should panic about at this moment. Instead, we should focus on continued scientific research and exploration to find viable solutions that can help us adapt and thrive in the face of changing conditions.