The Fate of Our Solar System: Pulverization by the Sun

In a few billion years, our Sun will transform into a red giant and then a white dwarf, likely consuming Mercury and Venus in the process. New research suggests that while inner planets may not survive, outer planets, moons, asteroids, and comets could endure the transition. Observations of white dwarfs show chaotic variability, indicating the presence of debris from torn-apart asteroids and moons. This suggests that the fate of planetary systems during the transition to white dwarfs is more complex than previously thought.