Earth Could Outsmart the Sun's Final Farewell, New Study Finds

New models of how aging stars interact with nearby planets suggest Earth could avoid being engulfed as the Sun swells into a red giant. The study finds that weaker tidal forces and mass loss from the Sun could allow Earth (and Mars) to migrate outward, while Mercury and Venus are still doomed to be swallowed. The outcome depends on uncertain mass-loss rates during the Sun’s final stages; with current data, Earth’s survival is possible but not guaranteed, and more observations of sun-like giants are needed, the team reports in Astronomy & Astrophysics.