Johnny Space Case: Future of Our Solar System

Our Solar System is estimated to be around 4.6 Billion Years old. However, it's only part way to a huge story that has yet to be told about our Solar System. In this page we will cover the events that are expected to happen as our Solar System ventures further into it's fantastic story.

Just remember that the times that these events are expected to happen are estimates and can't be accurately timed. Some of these events are also possibilities which may or may not happen.

Ready? Here we go.

## 50 Million Years from now~Phobos is destroyed

One of the problems facing Mars right now is that its largest moon; Phobos is moving closer to the planet. In fact scientists say that in the next 50 Million Years that Phobos will either crash into Mars, or be destroyed thanks to Mars' Roche Limit (the limit in which some bodies can be destroyed by the Planet's gravitational forces) and become almost like a ring system, unlike in the picture above Mars' future ring system won't be nearly as profound as on Saturn. If it crashes into Mars, than it could do some serious damage, assuming that there are colonies by this time.

## 100 Million Years from now~Saturn loses its rings

Due to the ice and rock particles falling into Saturn and its moons could mean that in about 100 Million Years Saturn will lose its iconic rings. Yeah, Saturn is almost unrecognizable without its rings.

At around the same time, a mass extinction on Earth is also expected to happen, it's still unknown if Humans would be a part of this future mass extinction.

## 250 Million Years from now~New Supercontinent forms

Our Earth's Tectonic Plate system is very active as we have earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Even in the future, the tectonic plate system will continue to move the continents and in the Next 250 Million Years a new Supercontinent will form. It'll be 1 of either 4 possible supercontinents, Aurica, Pangea Ultima, Novopangea, or Amasia. Whatever supercontinent forms, it'll more than likely be desert since the Sun by this time is 10% larger and brighter than it is today. Again, it's unknown if Humans will still be alive when this happens. The Earth's rotation around its axis will also slow down, making our days longer by hour.

## 450 Million Years from now~Venus Erupts

Venus is a seismically active planet, it'll still be active in the future. Scientists say that in the next 450 Million Years, the entire surface of Venus will erupt in a giant cataclysmic event that will make the entire surface of Venus molten.

## 600 Million Years from now~No more eclipses

Like Mars, Earth also has a problem with its Moon. Though our Moon isn't moving towards the Earth, it's doing the opposite, it's moving away from the Earth. Because of this, it would effect the tides of the Earth, but that is nothing compared to what would happen in the next 600 Million years where the Moon has moved away from the Earth far enough to make eclipses impossible. Yeah, that's sad that we can't see eclipses anymore by this time.

It's also around this time where Earth would lose enough Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere that plant life would start to die off. That's sad too.

## 1.5 Billion Years from now~Mars has water......again

Scientists say that in the next 1.5 Billion Years, Mars may be covered by water, just like it was in its distant past. Though, more than likely this water wouldn't be suitable for drinking or growing plants. This is because the Sun would have increased in mass and luminosity at this time allowing Mars to be within the Solar System's "Habitable Zone" thus allowing water to cover the planet.

## 2 Billion Years from now~Earth Dies

Our Earth will not go on having an atmosphere, water, and life forever. Scientists say that in the next 2 Billion Years, the Earth would die as the Tectonic Plate system stops as the Earth's core cools, causing the atmosphere to disintegrate, the Oceans to evaporate, and all life to become extinct. It's also around this time that the Earth would leave the Solar System's habitable zone and enter the "hot zone" where the conditions are too hot for life. The Earth in another 3.5 billion years can develop another Atmosphere, one consisting of Carbon Dioxide and causing the planet to turn very hot, hotter than Venus is today. It'll also be around 3 Billion Years that the Moon will be far enough away from the Earth where it's rotation around its axis becomes more erratic, making measuring time impossible.

## 3.3 Billion Years from now~Massive collision in Inner Solar System

Scientists say that in the next 3.3 Billion Years that there would be a chaotic event in the Inner Solar System, there's a 1% chance that the Gravitational force from Jupiter may effect the orbit of Mercury, causing it to be either flung out of the Solar System or collide with another Inner Planet such as Venus or Earth.

## 3.6 Billion Years from now~Neptune's new Ring System

Like with Mars, Neptune also has a problem with its largest moon; Triton because like Phobos and Mars, Triton is also moving towards Neptune, but unlike with Mars, Triton will more than likely break apart once it enters Neptune's Roche Limit and become a new ring system for the planet, it's unknown whether it'll be as profound as Saturn's rings.

## 4 Billion Years from now~Galaxies Collide

If you have read my previous blog page. The Milky Way Galaxy is on a collision course with the Andromeda Galaxy, and these Galaxies aren't expected to collide for another 4 Billion Years.

Now, you may ask the question "What does this have to do with our Solar System?" Well, our Solar System is a part of the Milky Way Galaxy, and there are 2 possibilities once the 2 Galaxies collide, they will either break apart, sending stars (including our Sun and the Solar System) and other materials into intergalactic space, or merge into one giant Elliptical Galaxy. It's currently unknown what would happen to our solar system once the Galaxies collide, but for the sake of this page let's say it survives.

## 6 Billion Years from now~The Sun Evolves

Scientists say that in the next 6 Billion Years, the Sun will begin its Red Giant phase as Hydrogen in its core will be exhausted by this time. It'll take another 2 Billion Years for the Sun to go through its Red Giant phase, what is agreed upon though is that Mercury will definitely fall into the Sun once the Sun expands beyond Mercury's orbit, in the next 7.3 Billion Years the Sun will then go through what is known as a pulsating Red Giant Phase where it increases and decreases in size until finally it turns into a White Dwarf. The Planets would be pushed away from the expanding sun, leaving the fates of Venus and Earth uncertain.

## 6.7 Billion Years from now~Mars is habitable

As the Sun's luminosity increases and pushes the Habitable Zone out further, Mars' landscape may change dramatically and may resemble present day Earth. However, Mars' time in the habitable zone is brief since by this time the Sun is going through its first Red Giant phase, so if there would be life in Mars (and assuming Humans live there as well) it'll only be about 500 Million years.= that life can be sustained on Mars.

## 7 Billion Years from now~Atmospheres Destroyed

In the next 7 Billion Years, with the Sun expanding and the Solar Winds strengthening, the Atmospheres of both Venus and Earth will be blown away, leaving their respective surfaces at the mercy of the extremely strong Solar Winds and creating an extremely hot environment on the 2 planets since they would be in the Sun's hot zone.

## 8 Billion Years from now~The Sun, a White Dwarf

After 2 Billion Years of going through its Red Giant phase, the Sun will shrink into what is called a White Dwarf, it'll be smaller than even Earth and so it'll have a fraction of gravity, and because of this there's a possibility that by some gravitational force of another body in space, the Outer Solar System will fling off into interstellar space. The Fate of Venus, Earth, and Mars is also uncertain, they would either fall into the White Dwarf Sun, or also be flung out into interstellar space.

Essentially, this would mark the end of the Solar System with all of the planets either lost or destroyed as our White Dwarf Sun would fade to the blackness of space.

That'll do it for this page, don't forget to check out my Games and Movies wikis too. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.