HEADSCRATCHERS

Seeking answers to your science questions? Ask our resident expert

-  Peter Gallivan

Hi, I'm Pete, and I love science and the natural world. I work with the Royal Institution (Ri) in London, where you can find exciting, hands-on science events for young people. We've teamed up with The Week Junior Science+Nature to answer your burning science questions.

How can scientists prove that the Sun will explode in the future? Hermione

The Sun at the centre of our solar system will indeed eventually begin to die, about five billion years from now. This will happen as the hydrogen that fuels the star is gradually used up and runs out.

What will happen to the Sun isn't quite an explosion, though. Instead the star will balloon in size, becoming a red giant star, and expanding to swallow up Mercury, Venus and maybe even Earth.

Finally, it will cast off most of its outer layers, leaving behind a small, cooler star, about the size of Earth, and known as a white dwarf.