The earth's age has been estimated to around 4.5 billion years. Scientists had believed that it was reaching mid-life and expected the planet to be sallowed by the sun during its death enlargement in about five billion years.
Now some scientists believe the Earth may survive (but any life on the planet is toast). Astronomers noticed a massive gas planet in about the same position of earth which has survived the enlargement of the star V 391Pegasi. There is one catch though, even if the enlarged Sun does not absorb Earth, a giant explosive wave will fling out from the Sun and potentially flash fry the planet (kind of like the explosion in the beginning of Star Trek VI).
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You might be interested in this article, "Children of the Sun, by biochemist Gottfried Schatz. Neat stuff about colors, especially below the sea.
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