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http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week252.html
includes a concise timeline of the solar system future
===quote Baez===
* In 1.1 billion years the Sun will become 10% brighter than now, and the Earth's atmosphere will dry out.
* In 3 billion years the Andromeda Galaxy will collide with our galaxy. Many solar systems will be destroyed.
* In 3.5 billion years the Sun will become 40% brighter than today. If the Earth is still orbiting the sun, its oceans will evaporate.
* In 5.4 billion years from now the Sun's core will run out of hydrogen. It will enter its first red giant phase, becoming 1.6 times bigger and 2.2 times brighter than today.
* In 6.5 billion years from now the Sun will become a full-fledged red giant, 170 times bigger and 2400 times brighter than today. The Republican Party will finally admit the existence of global warming, but point out that it's not human-caused.
* In 6.7 billion years from now the Sun will start fusing helium and shrink back down to 10 times bigger and 40 times brighter than today.
* In 6.8 billion years from now the Sun will runs out of helium. Being too small to start fusing carbon and oxygen, it'll enter a second red giant phase, growing 180 times bigger and 3000 times brighter than today.
But then, about 6.9 billion years from now, the Sun will start pulsating, ejecting half of its mass in the form of solar wind! It'll become what they call a "planetary nebula". Eventually only its inner core will be left. In "week223" I quoted Bruce Balick's eloquent description:
"The remnant Sun will rise as a dot of intense light, no larger than Venus, more brilliant than 100 present Suns, and an intensely hot blue-white color hotter than any welder's torch. Light from the fiendish blue "pinprick" will braise the Earth and tear apart its surface molecules and atoms. A new but very thin "atmosphere" of free electrons will form as the Earth's surface turns to dust."
...
...
==endquote==
includes a concise timeline of the solar system future
===quote Baez===
* In 1.1 billion years the Sun will become 10% brighter than now, and the Earth's atmosphere will dry out.
* In 3 billion years the Andromeda Galaxy will collide with our galaxy. Many solar systems will be destroyed.
* In 3.5 billion years the Sun will become 40% brighter than today. If the Earth is still orbiting the sun, its oceans will evaporate.
* In 5.4 billion years from now the Sun's core will run out of hydrogen. It will enter its first red giant phase, becoming 1.6 times bigger and 2.2 times brighter than today.
* In 6.5 billion years from now the Sun will become a full-fledged red giant, 170 times bigger and 2400 times brighter than today. The Republican Party will finally admit the existence of global warming, but point out that it's not human-caused.
* In 6.7 billion years from now the Sun will start fusing helium and shrink back down to 10 times bigger and 40 times brighter than today.
* In 6.8 billion years from now the Sun will runs out of helium. Being too small to start fusing carbon and oxygen, it'll enter a second red giant phase, growing 180 times bigger and 3000 times brighter than today.
But then, about 6.9 billion years from now, the Sun will start pulsating, ejecting half of its mass in the form of solar wind! It'll become what they call a "planetary nebula". Eventually only its inner core will be left. In "week223" I quoted Bruce Balick's eloquent description:
"The remnant Sun will rise as a dot of intense light, no larger than Venus, more brilliant than 100 present Suns, and an intensely hot blue-white color hotter than any welder's torch. Light from the fiendish blue "pinprick" will braise the Earth and tear apart its surface molecules and atoms. A new but very thin "atmosphere" of free electrons will form as the Earth's surface turns to dust."
...
...
==endquote==
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