The Earth has a limited amount of time remaining before the sun becomes too hot. In accordance with their simulations, the scientists predict that Earth will pass out of the habitable zone sometime between 1.75 billion and 3.25 billion years from today. Then the habitable zone will extend beyond the Earth’s orbit, making Mars, the […]
A lunar eclipse can only occur when the moon is completely full. A total lunar eclipse can only occur when the sun, Earth, and moon are perfectly aligned – anything less than ideal results in a partial lunar eclipse or no eclipse at all if the sun, Earth, and moon are not properly aligned. 5 […]
How long does it take for the Sun to disappear fully below the horizon? The greatest durations of time when the Sun is fully below the horizon for places inside the polar circles range from zero a few degrees beyond the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle to 179 days at the Poles. Where on earth […]
How does the energy from the sun reach the surface of the planet? Radiation is the means by which energy from the sun reaches the Earth. Heat may be transmitted in three ways: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction is the most common mode of transmission. Radiation is the only mechanism to move heat across empty […]
It is estimated that in around 5 billion years the sun will begin the process of helium-burning, resulting in the formation of a red giant star. When it grows, its outer layers will destroy Mercury and Venus before reaching the planet Earth. Regardless of the outcome, life on Earth as we know it will be […]