Life on Earth only exists because of a fragile and truly incredible balance. Our atmosphere, proximity to the sun, and countless other incredible coincidences not only allow living things to live and develop, but also to flourish.
But all good things come to an end.
Although life here may survive for several billion more years, depending on what is happening on our planet and in the galaxy, the end of the world could also happen at any time, even tomorrow.
Here are some scientific theories that foresee the destruction of all life on Earth and the death of the planet itself.
1) The molten core of the Earth can cool
The earth is surrounded by a protective magnetic shield called the magnetosphere.
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This shield is formed by the rotation of the Earth. The magnetic field is created by a current that is generated in the liquid conducting substance of the planet's core, which is in motion.
The magnetosphere reflects destructive cosmic radiation.
But if the core cools down, the magnetosphere will disappear - our protection from solar winds, which will gradually scatter the Earth's atmosphere throughout space.
2) The sun can begin to die, expanding at the same time
The sun and the location of the Earth in relation to this star is perhaps one of the most important criteria for the preservation of all living things.
But the sun is a star, and the stars are dying.
Scientists believe that the Sun has already completed half of its life path, and when all the hydrogen in the interior of the Sun is converted into helium, the process of death of the cosmic body will begin. It was then, due to the more active reactions that will occur on the Sun, the Earth will either be attracted to the Sun and everything on it will simply burn out or evaporate, or the expansion of the Sun will force the Earth to de-orbit and drift through space, where it will quickly freeze without sunlight.
3) the Earth can go out of its orbit
The reason for this may be a wanderer planet drifting in space. If such a planet "wanders" into our solar system and approaches the Earth, it can disrupt its orbit. And a change in the orbit can lead to the fact that the living conditions on our planet will become extreme and deadly, the abnormal cold will be replaced by a searing heat. After leaving its orbit, the Earth can collide with another planet in our solar system, such as Venus or Mercury. The wanderer planet can completely push the Earth out of the solar system, and then the Earth itself will turn into a lifeless ice ball, another wandering planet.
4) Collision with another planet
A wanderer planet can not only approach the Earth and displace it from orbit, but also collide with it.
About 4.5 billion years ago, one small planet crashed into a larger planet, which resulted in the formation of the Earth and the Moon.
A new collision would cause the Earth to melt. The newly formed planet would cool down over time, but it would remain suitable for life, it is not known.
5) Asteroids can bomb our planet
These blocks from space are indeed very destructive. According to one theory, it was the fall of the asteroid that caused the death of the dinosaurs. But to destroy the entire planet, you need a real asteroid rain.
There has already been a period in the history of the Earth when the falls of asteroids were so intense that the oceans boiled for a whole year.
Only the most heat-resistant single-celled microbes were able to survive then. Such temperatures are clearly not for higher life forms.
6) Earth could be swallowed up by a wandering black hole
We know very little about black holes, but we know that they are so dense that even light cannot pass through them.
Scientists believe there are about ten million black holes in the Milky Way galaxy alone. Like stars, they rotate slowly and can migrate throughout space. Consequently, one of these black holes can fall into the orbit of our planet and drag it into oblivion - with us.
7) Earth's atmosphere can be destroyed by gamma-ray bursts
These flares are caused by the explosion of stars when they die. At the same time, energy is released of such power that it would be enough to destroy the ozone layer, the Earth would be exposed to such a colossal radiation that it would cause a rapid global cooling.
8) the universe will be blown to pieces by the "big bang"
According to this theory, a force called dark energy is pushing the particles of the universe away from each other faster and faster.
If this acceleration continues, the force that has held the atoms together for 22 billion years will disappear, and all material will begin to dissolve, or rather, turn into radiation.
True, if a new “big bang” is inevitable, who knows what consequences it will bring.
Svetlana Bodrik