• Question: when will the sun finally destroy its self and how?

    Asked by drummer4life to Fiona, Jane, Joanna, Michelle, William on 15 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Fiona Randall

      Fiona Randall answered on 14 Jun 2010:

      I’m sorry Drummer4life but I haven’t got a clue!

    • Photo: Michelle Murphy

      Michelle Murphy answered on 14 Jun 2010:

      I had to look this up. Apparently it will just use up all its fuel and burn out in 4.5-5billion years from now (so pretty soon 😛 ).

    • Photo: Joanna Brooks

      Joanna Brooks answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      Good question. The answer is probably yes. The sun will start expanding at some point because it will burn all the fuel it has in the centre – the fuel is hydrogen. After it expands (because there is no material in the centre) it will swallow the Earth, the planet Mercury and Venus. Then it will start shrinking because as it expands it will cool down which causes it to contract. At this point it might become a supernova (it will explode) or it will become a ‘white dwarf’ – a cold faint star 🙂

Comments