What is Sun?
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of Earth’s solar system, whose lifecycle and hypothetical transformation into a black hole are subjects of scientific discussion. In July 2026, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said that if the Sun became a black hole today, Earth would plunge into darkness but would continue to orbit it as it does now. In August 2026, physicist Brian Greene stated that a black hole the size of the Sun with the Sun’s mass would take about 10^68 years to evaporate. Also in August 2026, Greene described that over 10^11 years, the Sun will swell, consuming Mercury and Venus, and may swallow Earth. Tyson reiterated in August 2026 that if the Sun became a black hole, Earth would still orbit it, but it would get very cold very quickly. In August 2026, solar physicist Lika Guhathakurta noted that the Sun’s polarity changes are less consequential than often portrayed.
In the evidence
Every line below is attributed to a named speaker.
At approximately 10^11 years after the Big Bang, the Sun will swell to engulf Mercury, Venus, and possibly Earth, ending life on Earth.
“If you just go up to here, 10^ the 11 years, what happens here is the sun will get bigger and bigger. It swells. It eats up the close planets, Mercury and Venus. It may swallow up the Earth, too.”Brian Greene · 17 Aug 2026
A black hole with the mass of the Sun takes approximately 10^68 years to evaporate via Hawking radiation.
“A black hole the size of our sun with the mass of our sun about 10 the 68 years for that to happen.”Brian Greene · 17 Aug 2026
Black holes do not gravitationally consume nearby objects that are already in orbit. Earth would continue orbiting a black-hole Sun, just losing heat.
“If the sun became a black hole, for example, we would still orbit it. It would get very cold very quickly, but we would still orbit.”Neil deGrasse Tyson · 11 Aug 2026
Neil deGrasse Tyson on black holes not automatically consuming nearby objects.
“If the sun became a black hole, for example, we would still orbit it. It would get very cold very quickly, but we would still orbit.”Neil deGrasse Tyson · 11 Aug 2026
If the Sun became a black hole, Earth's orbit would remain unchanged because the gravitational mass would be the same, though Earth would lose sunlight.
“If the sun became a black hole today, Earth would plunge into darkness, but we can still continue to orbit around it in just the same way we are right now.”Neil deGrasse Tyson · 14 Jul 2026
Solar magnetic polarity matters less for space weather at Earth than CME intensity and magnetic field strength, cutting against common emphasis on the solar cycle flip.
“What the solar polarity is doing is less consequential.”Lika Guhathakurta · 18 Aug 2026