• Question: Will the sun blow up and if it will how long until it does

    Asked by webber13 to Alan, Caspar, Diana, Murray, Sarah on 21 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Diana Drennan

      Diana Drennan answered on 18 Mar 2011:

      Nope. Not going to happen. (if the scientists are right…..) See, the sun burns hydrogen to helium in the core of the sun. When the sun runs out of hydrogen in its core (in another 5 billion years or so) nuclear reactions will stop and the core with contract. But, the reactions will continue in a shell around the core, and while the core is contracting the hydrogen burning around it heats up the outer layers which will expand, and while they do that they will cool. The Sun will then become what is called a Red Giant and its radius will be large enough to envelop the Earth!

      So the Sun will never explode (even though more massive stars can and do). The difference is that the Sun isn’t massive enough to ignite anything past helium in its core. More massive stars continue nuclear burning until they start making iron. This creates an unstable core which will then explode in a supernova explosion.

    • Photo: Alan Winfield

      Alan Winfield answered on 20 Mar 2011:

      No, I believe that our Sun is not big and heavy enough to blow up (i.e. explode). However, it will eventually blow up in a different way – by expanding and becoming a red giant. When it does that will be the end of life on Earth but – fortunately for us – it’s not expected to happen for another 4 to 5 billion years. If humans (or whatever we’ve evolved into by then) are still around I would expect that we will have developed the technology to leave the Solar System and find somewhere else to live.

      ps. For a more expert answer you should head over to the Space Zone.

    • Photo: Caspar Addyman

      Caspar Addyman answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      The sun is very stable as stars go so there is no immediate danger of exploding. No time in the next couple of billion years anyway.. In the very end i think it will start to expand slowly and engulf the earth and inner solar system but that is even longer time away

      This question has more details.. http://ias.im/35.1310

    • Photo: Sarah Thomas

      Sarah Thomas answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      Like other stars, our sun will one day die out. It only has so much fuel in it. However, current estimates are that the sun will last for another 10 billion years.

      The fuel is what determines the length of a star’s life. However other factors such as the size and the rate of consumption determine also play an important role. For example a star that is relatively larger than average will consume its fuel at a faster rate than a smaller star.

      All stars are fueled by condensed hydrogen that undergoes thermonuclear fusion. This process goes through a cycle that is powered by the gas pressure of the star and its own massive gravity. However fusion is a one way process. Once hydrogen is turned into helium it can’t change back. The true dying stages of the sun will happen when all of the sun’s hydrogen is turned to helium. At this point it is likely that the Sun will become a red giant. It will increase in size and all inner planets up to Mars would be engulfed!

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