When it comes to our beautiful Sun's future, it promises to be a bright one for generations to come! Nothing should really change for at least 15 thousand years, except a rise in its temperature. It is only half way through its 10 billion year lifespan, so it should continue to keep our solar system in place for a while yet. Luckily for us, our Sun has remained reliable while it still has hydrogen to fuel it. We still have plenty of time to enjoy it for all its glory and life giving energy. Mankind should do everything it can to embrace the energy it offers whilst it has such a gift!

Typical of nature and its ways however, all it has given us, it will also take away. There is absolutely nothing we can do to stop the Sun destroying our solar system and everything in it in due time. When this unique star dies, so will everything else it helped to create. Our yellow dwarf Sun is a star whose hydrogen reserves are half exhausted. In about 5 billion years, it will eventually run out of hydrogen. When this happens, the helium within its core will expand its size, and its temperature will increase. Over about 2.5 billion years, this action will release its gravitational energy and increase its nuclear reactions, effectively increasing its size by 100 times. Its glow will become much brighter as it continues to radiate, effectively becoming a red giant star, an ominous sign that it is on its way out. This action will signal the beginning of its end.

After another billion years, the Sun will increase in size and devour Mercury and most likely Venus as well. If it does not consume Earth, our planet will be severely scorched at the very least. Earth will be subject to an extreme greenhouse effect, and life as we know it will be over. However, before it dies, our Sun will shine like never before.

Eventually, the heat of the red giant Sun could cause it to explode causing a supernova. However, it is more likely it will implode and become a white dwarf Sun, with only a whimper of a glow. Not quite the big bang scenario which saw its beginning. As its core loses it gravitational powers, its outer layers will be blown off and drift away. It will then become a cool, inactive, and solid matter of carbon about the same size as Earth. The outer planets will still exist, but in an endless darkness and freezing space environment. The only place left for any possible life could well be far away Pluto and maybe its moon Charon.

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