When's this planet going to be destroyed?

Question

When's this planet going to be destroyed?

Answer 1

Next Tuesday.

(sooner, if I can get the flip-top off my Acme Home-Made Strange Matter Bomb.... d**n, child-proof caps!)

Answer 2

If we don't do it before, then it will probably be when the Sun becomes a red giant, in approximately 5 billion years.

There are two opportunities before that:

1.  In about 3 billion years, our Galaxy could collide with the Andromeda Galaxy.  Because stars are very far apart, actual collisions between stars are going to be very rare.  However, some stars will see their orbits shifted because of the tidal effect of the other galaxy.  Much too early to tell which stars.

2.  It is also possible that in the same time frame, a few planets have their orbits perturbed sufficiently by Jupiter to start going off and making themselves a risk for other planets (and for themselves).  Suspects are Mercury and Mars.

Answer 3

The only time we can say for sure is in about 4-5 billion years when our sun runs out of hydrogen to fuse and expands to engulf the earth.

Bad things could happen before then of course but who can predict what and when that could occur?

Answer 4

Fairly soon unless we start taking better care of it and stop harming it.

Answer 5

When the sun expands, which won't be for billions of years.