2006-09-26 16:46:57 · 11 answers · asked by chadspanky 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
There are two answers (10 and 1) pretty big margin of difference...which is it??
2006-09-26 16:56:24 · update #1
What will also occur when helium fusion begins is that the sun will lose mass (more mass is converted to energy in helium fusion than in hydrogen fusion) and as a result the earth will spiral out to a wider orbit than currently. as the sun's gravitational pull will be lessened. So it may escape being engulfed as a result.
2006-09-26 18:56:11 · answer #1 · answered by Mint_Julip 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most predictions I have read are speculative about whether or not the Earth will be engulfed by the Sun when it enters the red giant phase. Since the distance from the Earth to the Sun is one AU, if the Sun reaches the Earth, it will have a diameter of two AU. I've also read predictions that Mars could also be engulfed, roughly speaking Mars is normally about half again as far away from the Sun. If the Sun reaches Mars, it will have a diameter of approximately three AU. I would phrase the answer in terms of a range, that range being somewhere between 1.5 and 3 AU.
Some red giants, such as Betelgeuse are much much larger, I think Betelgeuse has a diameter of something like a billion and a half miles, that would be about 16 AU.
2006-09-26 17:09:40 · answer #2 · answered by memac63 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
10
2006-09-26 16:48:39 · answer #3 · answered by wizard 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
In 5 or 6 billion years when the sun swells up and becomes a red giant, it won't eat up Earth, but it will completely vaporise it because the Earths orbit will go straight into the corona, and the temperature is close to 2.000.000 C. So I guess it'll be around 0.98998 AU. But will probably swallow Earth by a solar prominence.
2006-09-26 17:05:23 · answer #4 · answered by Eddy G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, the sun may not even enter the red giant phase, but it will swell about 30 times its current radius. The sun may extend just beyond the Earth's orbit, swallowing up the closest three inner planets, making it just beyond 1 AU.
2006-09-26 16:51:56 · answer #5 · answered by finestambiguity 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are going to get a number of answers giving different figures. How will you decide which one to accept as authentic? Wherever you read that sun is going to become a red giant would also have mentioned its size then. No?
2006-09-27 00:56:49 · answer #6 · answered by Rajesh Kochhar 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
About .5 AU in 4 billion years
More than enough to destroy everything and ruin your day.
but a billion years earlier it will become too energetic for life to persist on Earth
2006-09-26 17:49:01 · answer #7 · answered by aka DarthDad 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
About 1 to 1.7 AU
2006-09-27 01:59:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will go all the way to Mars. 1.5 AU
2006-09-27 12:52:56 · answer #9 · answered by profile image 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
diameter will reach till jupiter..
2006-09-26 18:38:38 · answer #10 · answered by ashwin_hariharan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋