In a somewhat popular article on the Big Bang theory by Jon Skindzier, he notes:
“[The universe collapsing] probably won’t much matter to us — the sun will have long since gone all Red Dwarf and destroyed the Earth.”
Now, let’s think about this. A star’s colour is given by its surface temperature. ‘Cool’ stars are red, while ‘hot’ stars are blue / white.
When a star collapses, it gets hotter and becomes a white dwarf. When it expands, it cools off and becomes a giant. This is why stars can become white dwarfs or red giants. Make sense?
Right. Here’s the thing: while red dwarfs do exist, they are not a result of a star getting old and using up its fuel: these small, cold stars lie at the base of the “main sequence” of stars (while our sun is mid-way), and never amount to a red giant or white dwarf.
So, the sun, or any other star, isn’t going to go “all Red Dwarf”. Not even if it collides with Craig Charles.
In summary: Don’t take your physics lectures from an entertainment writer for AskMen.com.
PS: New articles coming this week.
Further reading: Hertzsprung–Russell diagram
— Thomas Riggs