Scientists have made predictions regarding how our Solar System will end and when it will occur. And humans will be unable to witness its final act.
Our Sun is not as old as other stars. However, scientists are already attempting to predict the precise date of the Sun's demise. Of course, it is not as straightforward as announcing a date.
After all, we're dealing with a monstrous ball of energy that we've just scratched the surface of. However, astronomers have deduced several critical aspects regarding the Sun's destiny, including when its present life phase will terminate.
However, you do not need to be concerned about this solar death occurring anytime soon. As with all stars, the sun is powered by a churning fusion engine, and it still has plenty of fuel remaining - around 5 billion years' worth.
Stars like our sun originate when a massive cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen and helium) expands to the point of collapse.
The pressure inside the compressing mass of gas is so great that the heat reaches inconceivable levels, with temperatures so high that hydrogen atoms lose their electrons.
Previously, scientists believed it would evolve into a planetary nebula - a bright bubble of gas and dust - until evidence revealed that it would need to be significantly larger.
In 2018, an international team of scientists discovered that the most likely solar corpse is actually a planetary nebula.
Our Sun will most certainly decrease to a white dwarf and become a planetary nebula in the process, according to the 2018 study that employed computer simulations of other stars.
The Sun is approximately 4.6 billion years old, as determined from the ages of other objects in the Solar System that originated at approximately the same period.
Astronomers estimate that the sun has around 7 billion to 8 billion years left before it dies.
According to scientists, the Earth's seas will be destroyed in a billion years by the Sun's energy. Additionally, the Sun's brightness will have increased by around 10% at that time. Then, there are additional climate change issues to consider.
The Earth's future is bleak, at least, based on science. Perhaps this is why so many people are obsessed with space exploration and the prospect of colonizing other worlds. Not only would this ensure humanity's survival, but it would also provide us with a new home when the Sun ultimately fades into extinction.
