{"id":802819,"date":"2026-06-28T08:38:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T13:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=802819"},"modified":"2026-06-28T08:38:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T13:38:36","slug":"will-earth-survive-the-red-giant-sun-new-research-suggests-yes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=802819","title":{"rendered":"Will Earth survive the red giant sun? New research suggests yes"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Artist\u2019s concept of the sun engulfing Earth about 5 billion years from now. Will Earth survive the sun\u2019s death? A new study suggests it would have a good chance of escaping the swelling sun. Image via Celestia\/ Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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  • About 5 billion years from now,<\/strong> in an advanced stage of its evolution, our sun will expand into a red giant.<\/li>\n
  • Earlier studies had suggested Earth won\u2019t survive<\/strong> the swelling red giant sun. But now a new study suggests it just might.<\/li>\n
  • Even if Earth escapes the red giant sun,<\/strong> the study says, its surface will become hostile to life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Science matters. Wonder matters. You matter. Join our 2026 Donation Campaign today.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Will Earth survive sun\u2019s death?<\/h3>\n

    A new study suggests Earth might have a fighting chance of surviving the sun\u2019s eventual death. About 5 billion years from now, our sun will exhaust its hydrogen fuel and begin expanding outward to become a red giant star that swallows Mercury and Venus. Earlier studies had suggested Earth would meet the same fate. But new calculations from researchers in Belgium and France say it might escape.<\/p>\n

    The outcome relies on two competing factors: gravitational tidal interactions and solar mass loss. Together, they could determine whether Earth spirals inward into the expanding sun or drifts outward to safety. There\u2019s a catch, though: even if Earth escapes, its surface would still become hostile to life.<\/p>\n

    The somewhat hopeful peer-reviewed results were published in Astronomy & Astrophysics<\/em> on June 19, 2026. KU Leuven also released a statement about the study on ARGO.net.<\/p>\n

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    Earth could escape the Sun\u2019s final expansion after all. New modeling suggests lower tidal dissipation may let it drift outward instead of being swallowed in about 5 billion years. doi.org\/rcbf<\/p>\n

    \u2014 Science X \/ Phys.org (@sciencex.bsky.social) 2026-06-19T15:40:16-04:00<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    2 effects will determine Earth\u2019s fate<\/h3>\n

    Earth\u2019s fate comes down to two possibilities. Either it will spiral inward and be swallowed by the expanding sun, or its orbit will widen, allowing it to escape. The outcome has to do with two main effects: gravitational tidal interactions (tidal forces) and solar mass loss. As explained in ARGO.net:<\/p>\n

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    Two forces drive the answer. The first involves tidal interactions, the same broad family of gravitational effects that links Earth and the moon today. When a planet orbits close to a giant star, its gravity can raise distortions inside the star. Those distortions dissipate energy and can shift the planet\u2019s orbit inward over time.<\/p>\n

    The second force comes from solar mass loss. During its giant phases, the sun will shed large amounts of material through powerful outflows. As the sun loses mass, its pull on the planets weakens. A planet that once orbited at one distance can then drift into a wider path.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Lead author Mats Esseldeurs at KU Leuven in Belgium said:<\/p>\n

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    Earth\u2019s fate depends on a delicate balance between these two effects.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n