What is the fate of our sun?

The sun will eventually become a red giant, then a white dwarf, and eventually cool down.

As our sun continues to burn hydrogen in its core, it will eventually run out of fuel and begin to expand into a red giant. This will cause the outer layers of the sun to cool and expand, swallowing up Mercury and Venus. Earth may survive this phase, but it will be too hot to support life.

After the red giant phase, the sun will shed its outer layers and become a white dwarf. It will no longer produce energy through nuclear fusion and will slowly cool down over billions of years. Eventually, it will become a black dwarf, a cold and dark remnant of a once bright and powerful star.

The fate of our sun is not unique, as all stars follow a similar life cycle. However, the timing and specifics of each star's evolution depend on its mass. Smaller stars, for example, will not become red giants and will instead simply fade away into a white dwarf.

Understanding the life cycle of stars, including our own sun, is important for astronomers as it helps them to better understand the universe and the formation of planets and other celestial bodies.