The Death of the Sun

What exactly will happen when the sun dies?

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Like living things, stars have a life cycle. They’re born inside of a cloud of gas and dust, they live their lives fusing hydrogen into helium in their cores, shining bright and stable for as long as that hydrogen lasts. Then they die, each going out in its own beautiful way. How a star dies depends on its mass. The bigger they are, the shorter their lives and the more sublime their deaths.

Hosted by Matt O'Dowd
Written by Drew Rosen and Matt O'Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Graphics by Grayson Blackmon
Assistant Editing and Sound Design by Mike Petrow and Linda Huang

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[MrRipple]

I just realized the Pauli exclusion principle is the quantum mechanical way a particle says "eyyy im walkin here"

[DAveShillito]

I remember being scared silly watching "The Sky at Night" on the BBC when I was a young child (35+ years ago), and Patrick Moore said the sun would expand to swallow the Earth.

At that age I didn't understand the concept of billions of years (I barely do now tbh).
I thought he meant it would happen next in the week or so!

[jaydonbooth]

This video along with The End of the Habitable Zone and other videos about the end of the universe really are cheerful topics to me, makes me feel better to know that no matter how much humanity does right or wrong, our species' entire existence will still just be a miniscule blip in an eternity. Good reminder that we just have to appreciate this little piece we get to experience in between infinite non-existence. Thank you to Matt and the rest of the Space Time team for all these great videos that put things in perspective

[AndyCies]

Would've loved a timeline across the bottom to help note the relative lengths of these phases of the sun's life. Easy (for ol' me!) to lose track after many have been listed. "A few billion years here... a hundred million there..."

[scottboyd]

5.4 billon A.D., Wednesday 10:36 AM EST...

[forjohnny]

Oh shit I think understood all of that for a change.

[victorha]

When I learned about this as a little kid... that was the end of childhood innocence. I hope more kids watch this so they are ruined for life too

[luciacalderas]

Your channel has inspired me to switch my drama and acting career to physics.

[KennyEspling]

This is the best channel on youtube. Great presentation, great host, great content all around.

[alexkorocencev]

I have never heard about a lot of interesting and important details from other sources. Thanks!

[cheaterman]

Great episode as usual! Can't wait for the next one about superior siege engines!

[DrakiniteOfficial]

Throwback to the first video that introduced me to this fantastic channel. I came in looking for a simple summary of how the sun is expected to die, and came out with a much more detailed and much more fascinating explanation. Thanks for helping teach me all these concepts over the years!

[HarryPhanShow]

Whoa! He's like a taller Tyrion. Thanks for a story of giants and dwarves.

[codylakin]

This channel is like The Twilight Zone with science. It’s just as scary, just as mindblowing (actually more so), and we always get that priceless “in Space Time” at the end. Love it

[antonystringfellow]

Excellent, thanks! I was looking for an explanation like this only yesterday but couldn't find a video as good as this. Today (21/2) I wasn't looking ... this just appeared among the suggested videos. Very comprehensive - even down to our possible descendants - if we still have any by then).

[NewMessage]

Next episode: The Trouble With Trebuchets

[DANGJOS]

Wow! A lot more involved in that red giant phase than I thought. Thanks!

[joshavandervelden]

Love the channel! Please keep up the great work guys! Also, can I make a request? How about dedicating a video to Chaos theory. On how basically everything is a system, the unpredictability of systems and how seeming randomness creates patterns. Bonus: you get to make Jurassic park quotes! Also I think it's worthwhile because besides evolution it is a good theorethical framework for understanding the world around us, though sadly very much underrated in my opinion.

[AnEvolvingApe]

My dude, the delivery of the beginning monolog had me smash the like button so hard... that was kinda Lovecraftian in a 21st century way.

[henkvandermeer]

I am so glad that i found this channel!