The end of life on Earth isn’t just a topic for science fiction anymore. NASA has used advanced astronomical studies to calculate the timeline for the eventual extinction of all life on our planet. While Earth still has billions of years left before it’s consumed by the Sun, the biosphere that sustains life has far less time. The grim reality is that life on Earth has a finite timeline, and NASA’s findings suggest that the countdown has already begun.
Our planet’s fate is intricately linked to the Sun, the star that provides the energy necessary for life. As the Sun ages, it undergoes changes that will have catastrophic effects on Earth. Over the next five billion years, NASA says the Sun will exhaust its hydrogen fuel, eventually swelling into a red giant star that may engulf the Earth. However, the danger to life on our planet will occur much sooner due to the Sun’s increasing brightness, which will have severe consequences on our climate and environment.1
