The Sun is expected to live for approximately 9 to 10 billion years.
Our Sun, like other stars, is powered by nuclear fusion, converting hydrogen into helium in its core. This process releases immense energy, giving the Sun its light and heat. As the Sun ages, it gradually exhausts its hydrogen fuel.
Here's a breakdown of the Sun's life cycle:
- Main Sequence: The Sun is currently in its main sequence phase, where it has been for about 4.5 to 5 billion years. During this phase, it's relatively stable, fusing hydrogen into helium.
- Red Giant Phase: Eventually, the hydrogen fuel in the core will be depleted. The core will then contract and heat up, causing the outer layers of the Sun to expand dramatically, transforming it into a red giant. This is estimated to occur in roughly 5 billion years.
- Later Stages: After the red giant phase, the Sun will eventually shed its outer layers, forming a planetary nebula, and its core will collapse into a white dwarf.
Therefore, based on current scientific understanding, the maximum age of the Sun is estimated to be around 10 billion years, including the time it has already existed and the time it is expected to continue burning.
