When Will Earth Be Tidelocked To The Sun?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the estimated timeline for Earth's tidal locking to the Sun, with initial calculations suggesting approximately 5.5 billion years post-solar system formation. A contrasting source indicates a much longer duration of 480 billion years, highlighting the significant variability in estimates. The calculations currently lack consideration of gravitational influences from other planets, which could further affect the accuracy of these predictions. The conversation underscores the uncertainty surrounding Earth's long-term climatic fate as the inner edge of the habitable zone is projected to shift beyond Earth's orbit within a similar timeframe.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of tidal locking and its implications in astrophysics
  • Familiarity with the habitable zone (HZ) concept in planetary science
  • Basic knowledge of solar system formation and evolution
  • Awareness of gravitational influences among celestial bodies
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the concept of tidal locking in exoplanets and its implications for habitability
  • Study the dynamics of the habitable zone and its shifts over astronomical timescales
  • Explore gravitational interactions in multi-planet systems and their effects on orbital stability
  • Examine various models and formulas used to estimate tidal locking timescales
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysicists, planetary scientists, and anyone interested in the long-term evolution of Earth and its climatic conditions.

Fennelgiraffe
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I need to check a calculation for reasonableness. When I plug in the values for Earth and the Sun, I get a rough approximation of tidelock about 5.5 Gy after formation of the solar system. Is that anywhere close to the right answer?
 
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so we're all going to fry in a billion years? damn, better start pulling out my super...
 
Astroboy said:
so we're all going to fry in a billion years? damn, better start pulling out my super...

That's also just about the same time the inner edge of the HZ will move beyond Earth's orbit -- give or take a few hundred million years. So things should be getting toasty anyway.
 
Update: I found another source, with a different formula, and this one comes out to 480 billion years. Now I don't know what to think.

I know it's a very, very rough estimate, because neither version is taking the influence of other planets into consideration. The difference between 5.5 and 4.8 wouldn't bother me a bit--but the factor of 100 is a different story.
 

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