<p>Asteroid impacts are a possibility, but a killer asteroid typically affects the Earth every few dozen million years. This would probably destroy all life as we know it, but life will probably nonetheless persist. Statistically, by 500,000 years from now, we should have been hit by an asteroid 1 km in diameter, and 100,000,000 years from now, we should have been hit by one that is the size of the one that killed the dinosaurs. Statistically it's very unlikely we will get one that completely obliterates the Earth, causing it to be completely and utterly destroyed.</p>

<p>Gamma-ray bursts may irradiate the Earth to the point that complex life will no longer be able to survive, and only very resilient organisms like waterbears may live. At some point in the next 300,000 years, WR 104 is expected to go supernova, and if the poles are somewhere around 12 degrees or lower  we could be in the path of the supernova. We aren't 100% sure what its axis is angled at though. Either way, it won't actually destroy the Earth, but just irradiate it.</p>

<p>In roughly 7.5 billion years, the Earth will probably have been destroyed by falling into the Sun, as it engulfs the inner planets. This is nearly certain, but if somehow, the Earth-Moon system were to survive, then 50 billion years from now, the Earth and Moon will have become tidally locked. Then the Sun would extract angular momentum from the system as a white dwarf, and will cause the Earth's spin in accelerate and the Moon's orbit to decay. If this happens, then roughly 65 billion years from now the Moon will crash into the Earth, which would probably destroy it.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that there are many more ways that life as we know it could end, but these are not cosmic disasters, but are geologic and biological disasters, so they are not included. Generally speaking, it's very hard to completely destroy the Earth.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-04T20:24:55.417Z
2018-10-04T20:50:20.940Z
2018-10-04T20:50:20.940Z
User24373
<p>Of all the different ways that the Earth can be destroyed what ways is the most likely that could happen?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-04T20:12:07.487Z
Are you asking about a scenario likely to happen in, say, the next 100 years or for the rest of the life of Sol? If the latter, then the transition of Sol into a red giant is not just likely, but almost certain.
BillDOe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-04T20:31:26.680Z
I would guess a [coronal mass ejection](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection).
peterh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-04T22:09:44.383Z
"Destroying" an entire planet is absolutely an enormous event.  The only event we think likely which could actually destroy Earth is the transition to a red giant mentioned by @BillDOe .  Any other event that's considered even remotely realistic would merely damage Earth's surface, and while that might hurt humans and other life, it would not destroy Earth.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-04T22:56:42.137Z
Red giant phase won't destroy Earth, it will merely make it uninhabitable for most lifeforms. A coronal mass ejection would not even cause a mass extinction.
Chappo Hasn't Forgotten
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-05T03:29:58.077Z
@Chappo My understanding is that there is some disagreement about exactly how large the Sun may grow to in that phase.  [Some models suggest taht eventually Earth's orbit would be inside the Sun's atmosphere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun#After_core_hydrogen_exhaustion), some don't.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-05T04:04:30.697Z
@StephenG Good link! Article finds that the Sun's mass loss (leading to expansion of our orbit away from the Sun) is counterbalanced by tidal effects and supersonic drag through chromosphere, pulling us into the ballooning Sun in about 7.6 billion years. We've been warned!
Chappo Hasn't Forgotten
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-05T04:08:26.727Z
@Chappo if we don't get sneezed on by the sun before then.
Muze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-05T22:27:14.757Z
There's also phase change of the universe, but that'd destroy not just the Earth but the whole universe.
BillDOe
<black-hole><earth><asteroids><comets><flare>
What cosmic disaster is most likely to happen?
Muze
# What cosmic disaster is most likely to happen?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-04)

Of all the different ways that the Earth can be destroyed what ways is the most likely that could happen?

**Tags:** black-hole, earth, asteroids, comets, flare

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are you asking about a scenario likely to happen in, say, the next 100 years or for the rest of the life of Sol? If the latter, then the transition of Sol into a red giant is not just likely, but almost certain.  
> **username_2**: I would guess a [coronal mass ejection](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection).  
> **username_3**: "Destroying" an entire planet is absolutely an enormous event.  The only event we think likely which could actually destroy Earth is the transition to a red giant mentioned by @username_1 .  Any other event that's considered even remotely realistic would merely damage Earth's surface, and while that might hurt humans and other life, it would not destroy Earth.  
> **username_4**: Red giant phase won't destroy Earth, it will merely make it uninhabitable for most lifeforms. A coronal mass ejection would not even cause a mass extinction.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 My understanding is that there is some disagreement about exactly how large the Sun may grow to in that phase.  [Some models suggest taht eventually Earth's orbit would be inside the Sun's atmosphere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun#After_core_hydrogen_exhaustion), some don't.  
> **username_4**: @username_3 Good link! Article finds that the Sun's mass loss (leading to expansion of our orbit away from the Sun) is counterbalanced by tidal effects and supersonic drag through chromosphere, pulling us into the ballooning Sun in about 7.6 billion years. We've been warned!  
> **username_0**: @username_4 if we don't get sneezed on by the sun before then.  
> **username_1**: There's also phase change of the universe, but that'd destroy not just the Earth but the whole universe.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-10-04. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Asteroid impacts are a possibility, but a killer asteroid typically affects the Earth every few dozen million years. This would probably destroy all life as we know it, but life will probably nonetheless persist. Statistically, by 500,000 years from now, we should have been hit by an asteroid 1 km in diameter, and 100,000,000 years from now, we should have been hit by one that is the size of the one that killed the dinosaurs. Statistically it's very unlikely we will get one that completely obliterates the Earth, causing it to be completely and utterly destroyed.

Gamma-ray bursts may irradiate the Earth to the point that complex life will no longer be able to survive, and only very resilient organisms like waterbears may live. At some point in the next 300,000 years, WR 104 is expected to go supernova, and if the poles are somewhere around 12 degrees or lower we could be in the path of the supernova. We aren't 100% sure what its axis is angled at though. Either way, it won't actually destroy the Earth, but just irradiate it.

In roughly 7.5 billion years, the Earth will probably have been destroyed by falling into the Sun, as it engulfs the inner planets. This is nearly certain, but if somehow, the Earth-Moon system were to survive, then 50 billion years from now, the Earth and Moon will have become tidally locked. Then the Sun would extract angular momentum from the system as a white dwarf, and will cause the Earth's spin in accelerate and the Moon's orbit to decay. If this happens, then roughly 65 billion years from now the Moon will crash into the Earth, which would probably destroy it.

Keep in mind that there are many more ways that life as we know it could end, but these are not cosmic disasters, but are geologic and biological disasters, so they are not included. Generally speaking, it's very hard to completely destroy the Earth.


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