• Question: Is it true that ine day the sun will go all cold and swell up and increase in size until all the galaxy has been taken away by this big sunny monster? (i'm talking about a really, really long time her)?

    Asked by jemmaxx to David, Helen, Ian, rhysphillips, Sarah on 24 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: David Corne

      David Corne answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      That’s almost true, in the sense that this seems very likely based on current theories. But our Sun won’t get as big as the galaxy! It will expand just enough that the Earth is in its very thin outer atmosphere. The galaxy is safe, but we’re not (though, this is several billion years ahead)

    • Photo: Ian van der Linde

      Ian van der Linde answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Yes, all suns will eventually die and swell up to engulf their orbiting planets (if any). There are lots of stars in the sky that scientists think are close to this stage, and in the past there have been stars that have exploded so brightly (called a supernova) that night-time on earth has been as bright as day! It floods the galaxy with radiation though, so it’s not a good idea to stand around outside watching it for too long. It’s a very very rare event, so might not happen in our lifetime.

    • Photo: Rhys Phillips

      Rhys Phillips answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      Nearly. It will expand and the Earth will suffer but not the whole galaxy.

    • Photo: Helen Fletcher

      Helen Fletcher answered on 24 Jun 2011:

      Probably not the WHOLE galaxy. It is quite big…if you go out on a very dark, clear night away from city lights you can see it across the sky…it is a lot bigger than the sun, which is actually one of the smaller stars in our galaxy

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