So, I was listening to Nick Cave, and song ''Till the end of the world'' came along and it inspired me to think about the title of the song. As you all probably anticipate, our home, we call planet Earth, will be destroyed and there will be no traces of human existence. No traces of anything ever happened...
Or, if you are more positive, and if you are a Futurama fan, you might remember that episode with time machine, when Bender, Fry and Professor are observing the future of the Universe, and they see that after the Universe died, it was born again, and history repeated.
Let's get back to the topic. So, the Earth is going to be destroyed eventually, but what's going to happen with the Sun and the Universe?Nobody is a prophet, and nobody can tell what's going to happen tomorrow, but we are lucky enough to have science on our side, and science sometimes do act as a prophet. If you understand laws of the nature you can predict various natural phenomena, for example trajectories of celestial bodies, or eclipses with huge precision.I did a little research and I will try to predict the future as comprehensive as possible, including astronomical, geological and other events.
In 10000 years- The red supergiant star Antares will likely have exploded in a supernova. This explosion is expected to be seen in daylight.
Supernova explosion occurs when a star is no longer able to produce nuclear energy in its core, and radiation pressure can't balance gravitational force anymore. Gravitational force is acting inwards, and outer regions of stars explode as a result of this imbalance. The product of explosion can be white dwarf, neutron star or a black hole. Supernova explosions are extremely strong and can be equal in brightness to billions of stars. That's why it's not strange to expect this explosion to be visible in daylight.
Antares star (Source:https://bobmoler.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/06132017-ephemeris-i-call-antares-the-ufo-star/)
In 36000 years- Small red dwarf Ross 248 will pass within 3 light years of Earth, becoming the closest star to the Sun.Currently the closest stars to the Sun are Alpha Centauri and Barnard's star. Ross 248 will recede in 8000 years, making Alpha Centauri the closest again.
In 50000 years- According to some scientist the current interglacial period will end, sending the Earth back in glacial period of the current ice-age, regardless of the effects of global warming.
Modern ice-age (Source: http://farfuturehorizons.blogspot.rs/2015/10/the-next-ice-age.html)
In 100000 years- Current constellations are no more recognizable, due to proper motion of stars.
Constellations (Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/constellations-3071087)
In 100000 years- The hypergiant VY Cannis Majoris will have exploded in a hypernova.So, Antares will explode in a supernova and this star in a hypernova. Obviosly, hypernova is much stronger explosion than supernova.
Comparison of Antares and VY Canis Majoris (Source:https://www.emaze.com/@AWZIZQCI/Space)
In 100000 years- Earth will have likely experienced a volcano supereruption, erupting 400km3 of lava.
In 300000 years- Star WR 104 is expected to explode in a supernova. This explosion may produce gamma ray bursts that could possibly wipe out all life on planet Earth.WR 104 is a Wolf-Rayet star, and WR stars are by far the hottest star in the Universe. Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are extremely energetic explosions, the brightest electromagnetic events in the Universe. GRBs can last from ten milliseconds to several hours. GRBs are dangerous for Earth because they can cause chemical reaction in the atmosphere involving nitrogen and oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide. This gas can be deadly for trees and plants. Also GRB would destroy ozone layer, leaving the Earth unprotected from Sun' radiation.
GRB (Source: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/nasas-swift-spots-its-thousandth-gamma-ray-burst)
In 500000 years- Earth will likely have been hit by an asteroid, 1 km in diameter.
Asteroid and Earth (Source: http://webtribune.rs/ekskluzivno-monstruozni-asteroid-duzine-preko-kilometar-danas-krenuo-ka-zemlji/)
In 900000 years- Meteor crater in Arizona, will have been eroded away completely.
In 1 million years- Earth will probably have experienced a supervolcanic activity, erupting more than 3000 km3 of magma.
In 1 million years-Highest estimated time until red supergiant Betelgeuse explodes in a supernova.
Betelgeuse (Source:https://earthandstarryheaven.com/2015/03/23/betelgeuse/)
In 1.4 million years- The star Gliese will pass as close as 0.2 light years away from the Sun, causing perturbations in Oort's cloud, therefore increasing the risk of cometary impact in inner Solar system.Oort's cloud is a halo of icy bodies, orbiting the Sun on the edge of the Solar system. It is believed that all comets come from Oort's cloud.
A comet impact (Source: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/10/comet-may-have-struck-earth-just-10-million-years-after-dinosaur-extinction)
In 2 million years- Estimated time for coral reef ecosystems to completely recover from human cause ocean acidification.
The great barrier reef (Source: https://matadornetwork.com/trips/many-39-natural-wonders-world/)
In 2.5 million years- The Grand Canyon will erode, widening into a broad valley.
In 50 million years- Maximum estimated time until Mars collides with its satelite Phobos.
Mars and Phobos (Source:http://www.enterprisemission.com/Phobos.html)
In 80 million years- Estimated time for Earth to naturally replenish its fossil fuels.
In 80 million years- The Big Island, becomes the last of the current Hawaiian islands to sink beneath the sea.
In 100 million years- Earth will have been likely hit by an asteroid comparable in size with the asteroid that caused dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago.
In 100 million years- Upper estimated time for Saturn rings to be in the current form.
Saturn rings (Source: https://windmillsbyfy.wordpress.com/2010/01/page/2/)
In 180 million years-Due to gradual slowing of Earth's rotation, a day on Earth will be one hour longer than today. If you didn't know, during dinosaur era the day was about 22 hours long.
In 230 million years- Prediction of planetary orbits is impossible for time spans longer than this.
In 230 million years- Required time for the Sun to make an galactic orbit, from its current position.
Galactic orbit (Source:http://www.basicknowledge101.com/subjects/space.html)
In 250 million years- All continents may fuse into one supercontinent like it was in the past.
Future supercontinent (Source:http://www.deviantart.com/tag/novopangea)
In 550 million years- Estimated time until gamma ray burst or hypernova occurs near enough the Earth to cause mass extinction.
In 600 million years- Tidal acceleration moves the Moon far enough away from the Earth, so total solar eclipses are no longer possible.
No more total solar eclipses, so sad (Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse)
In 600 million years- The Sun's increasing luminosity begins to disrupt the carbonate-silicate cycle. Carbon-dioxide is trapped in the ground as carbonate As water evaporates from the Earth's surface, rocks harden, causing tectonic plates to slow and eventually stop. Without volcanoes to recycle carbon into the Earth's atmosphere, carbon dioxide levels begin to fall.After certain time c3 photosynthesis will be n longer possible, and all plants that utilize this type of photosynthesis will eventually die, and that is 99% of today's plants.
In 800 million years- Carbon-dioxide level continues to fall. Free oxygen and ozone disappears from the atmosphere. Multicellular life is extinct.
In 1 billion years- The Sun's luminosity is now increased by 10% percent, because of this Earth's average temperature 47 degrees Celsius. Oceans completely evaporate. Some water pockets might exist on the poles and might support some simple life forms.
In 1.3 billion years- Eukaryotic life extincts due to carbon-dioxide starvation. Only prokaryotic life exists.
In 2.3 billion years- Earth's magnetic field shuts down. Sun's radiation gradually depletes Earth's atmosphere.
In 2.8 billion years- Average temerature is 150 degrees Celsius. Life, that is by now reduced to unicelluar colonies living in special environments, such as high altitudes, or underground caves, completely dies out.
In 3.3 billion years- Jupiter might make Mercury's orbit so eccentric and cause collision with Venus, and possibly causing planetary collision with Earth. Other scenarios include Mercury collide with the Sun, or being completely ejected out of the Solar system.
In 4 billion years- Earth's temperature is 1500 degrees Celsius. Surface rock is melting.
In 4 billion years- Neptune's moon Triton disintegrates into a ring system.
Neptune and Triton, present time (Source https://www.nasa.gov/)
In 4 billion years- By this time neighboring galaxy Andromeda will collide with Milky Way, creating Milkomeda. Galaxy collisions do not induce interstellar collisions because galactic environment is sparse.
Milkomeda (Source:http://stellarreaches.nwgamers.org/2015/11/19/milkomeda/)
In 5 billion years- Sun exploited its all hydrogen supplies, and became red giant.
In 7 billion years- Earth is very likely destroyed now by falling into the Sun. When the Sun became red giant it expanded its radius 256 times, beyond Earth's orbit. It is possible that Saturn's moon Titan will have average temperature enough to support life.
The Sun as a red giant (Source:https://futurism.com/the-day-with-no-tomorrow/)
In 8 billion years- The Sun will become white dwarf. If the Earth survived somehow, the temperature will drop rapidly, because white dwarf Sun is emitting less much energy.
In 22 billion years- The end of the Universe with a Big Rip (this is Futurama's favorite ending :) ) . But, some recent observations predict, that because of certain characteristics of dark energy, Big Rip will not occur.
In 100 billion years- Expansion of the Universe will cause all galaxies beyond Local group to move beyond cosmic light horizon, and therefore will leave the observable Universe. Don't get confused with this, we call observable Universe a portion of the Universe that we can observe, a much bigger portion of the Universe we cannot observe, because of the Universe expansion and finite velocity of light.
In 450 billion years- 40 Local Group galaxies merge into one galaxy.
Local Group (Source:http://www.australianscience.com.au/space/andromeda-and-the-13-dwarfs/)
In 1 trillion years- Star formation era ends in all galaxies, because they exhausted its gas supplies. No new stars are born after this.
In 30 trillion years- Estimated time for every star to undergo a close encounter with another star. Whenever two stars, pass near each other, planetary orbits get disrupted and some planets may get ejected.
In 110 trillion years- By this time, all stars will have exhausted its fuel supplies. There is no more stars, but only stellar remnants like white dwarfs, neutron stars etc.
In 1 quadrillion years- Estimated time until close stellar encounters detach all planets from their orbits.
In 100 quintillion years- Estimated time for Earth to collide with the black dwarf Sun, assuming it hasn't been destroyed during the Sun's red giant phase, or detached from its orbit by close stellar encounter.
In 10^30 years- All stars not ejected from galaxies, fall into central black holes. At this time only objects in the Universe are stellar remnants and black holes.
In 10^43 years- Estimated time for all nucleons to decay. At this time, black hole era starts, in which only objects in the Universe are black holes.
In 10^68 years- Estimated time until a stellar mass black hole decays into subatomic particles by the Hawking process.
In 10^99 years- Estimated time until the most massive black hole, known up to date, decays. This marks the end of Black Hole era, and the Universe enters Dark era, in which all physical objects have decayed to subatomic particles.
In 10^10^120 years- High estimate for the Universe to reach its final energy state.
In 10^10^10^56 years- Beyond this time, quantum tunneling in any isolated part of the vacuum, through the process of inflation, can generate new Big Bangs and new Universes.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140105-timeline-of-the-far-future