The Fate of the Sun: Black Hole or Eternal Star?

The sun will not become a black hole when it dies because it lacks the necessary mass. Stars with initial masses greater than 20 to 25 times that of the sun have the potential to undergo gravitational collapse and form black holes. The sun will instead become a white dwarf, a dense, Earth-size star. As it reaches the end of its life, the sun will expand into a red giant, possibly engulfing the inner planets, including Earth, before shedding its outer layers and leaving behind a smoldering core.