A new study by researchers at Radboud University in the Netherlands suggests that the universe’s lifespan could be significantly shorter than previously thought. The team, led by Heino Falcke, used Hawking radiation theory to estimate the end of the universe and found a drastically shorter timeline: approximately 1078 years.
The research extends beyond black holes to consider its effects on white dwarfs, which are remnants of stars that have exhausted their fuel. The study reveals that these dense cosmic objects would also evaporate due to Hawking radiation, significantly shortening the expected timeline of cosmic endurance.
Despite this new estimate, the fate of Earth and the solar system remains unchanged. Scientists still predict that within a billion years, the Sun will become too hot for life as we know it, and around eight billion years from now, the Sun is expected to engulf the Earth.
The study’s findings also raise questions about dark energy, which drives the expansion of the universe. Weakening dark energy could imply that the universe’s expansion may not continue forever, potentially leading to a Big Crunch.
Future telescopes like the Euclid space telescope and Vera C. Rubin Observatory may provide deeper insights into dark energy and the universe’s ultimate fate. As scientists continue to probe the cosmos, this new timeline offers a fresh perspective on the ticking clock of cosmic existence.
Source: https://indiandefencereview.com/the-end-of-the-universe-will-happen-sooner-than-expected-scientists-reveal-unsettling-new-timeline