Alexander_Schwann

Alexander_Schwann t1_jcsdcdb wrote

If the earth manages to avoid being consumed by the Sun dying, it will probably stick around basically forever.

However, eventually (in tens of billions of years) the liquid layers of the Earth's core and mantle will cool and solidify, which will have significant effects on the surface. The Earth's magnetic field will disappear, leaving it unprotected from ionizing radiation and cosmic rays. That will eventually lead to the atmosphere being lost along with all liquid water and Earth will end up looking more like Mars (which we think also once had oceans and an atmosphere). Luckily, we shouldn't have to worry about that for at least 90 billion years.

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