Sun After 500 Billion Years

The Fate of the Sun

After 500 billion years, the Sun will have long exhausted its nuclear fuel. In reality, the Sun’s estimated lifespan is about 10 billion years, and it’s currently around 4.6 billion years old. So 500 billion years is far beyond its expected lifetime.

By that time, the Sun would have gone through its red giant phase, shed its outer layers, and become a white dwarf. Eventually, it will cool down and fade into a cold, dark black dwarf — a theoretical stellar remnant that has not yet formed in the universe due to the age of the cosmos.

Earth and the inner planets will likely be engulfed during the red giant phase, and the solar system will be a very different place, possibly devoid of life as we know it.

This blog explores the long-term evolution of stars and the ultimate fate of our solar system.