Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: thedoc on 03/04/2012 16:38:00
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With the recent solar activity pummelling the Earths atmosphere, will this dissipate our atmosphere?
Asked by Geoff, Great Massingham
Visit the webpage for the podcast in which this question is answered. (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/show/2348/)
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We answered this question on the show...
Eventually, yes it will in about a billion or a couple of billion year’s time. The Sun is very slowly warming up and expanding. It’s mostly in a steady state balanced between pressure pushing the Sun outwards and gravity pulling the Sun inwards. But over time, the pressure is winning ever so slightly and causing the Sun to expand and get brighter.
In terms of the oceans boiling, that's about a billion years away. In terms of the Earth losing its atmosphere, that’s a couple of billion years away and it’s 5 billion years until the Earth will actually fall into the Sun and we will be burned to a cinder.
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So I have time to go the pub?
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So I have time to go the pub?
There is always time to go to the pub
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I really need to reread that book.
and bring a towel..