How close would the sun have to come before the earth would be obliverated,dust?

Question

God bless all

Answer 1

I would have to say around where Mercury is now or somewhere in between Venus and Mercury. I would think it would have to be closer than the distance between Mercury and the Sun because Mercury isn't gone.

Answer 2

do you mean when the sun uses up all its hydrogen and becomes a red giant. In that case, the sun will literally swallow mercury and venus whole. The earth might be spared from this fate, but any life we know would have to be long gone before it ever happens. In fact when the sun swells up in the next 5 billion years, the outermost layer of the sun might actually surpass the earth (the earth will be INSIDE the outermost part of the sun), but because it would have cooled down enough, the earth would not be obliterated into dust, but rather become like mercury...just a ball. However, under current temperatures of the sun, the earth has to be between the sun and mercury for it to turn to dust. A solid fact behind this is that MERCURY STILL EXISTS, That means that any planet located where mercury currently resides will remain intact and not be blown offf into dust. Also, the earth is a lot bigger than mercury. That means that earth would have a better chance of not turning to dust at a closer distance to the sun than mercuy.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

closer than Mercury

there is no god

Answer 4

Is it moving?  No, the earth's orbit is pretty consistent, thanks.

If some miraculous force were to come along and slow the earth enough to have it come closer to the sun, it would only take a very small change in distance before the temperature of the earth would climb to a point we'd all be dead.  Even a 10% increase in solar radiation would cook us all.