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What would you be most likely to find if you returned to the solar system in 10 billion years?

1) a neutron star
2) a white dwarf
3) a black hole

User Webkul
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

In 10 billion years, you would most likely find a white dwarf at the location of the current solar system, as it is the expected end state for a star with the Sun's mass and characteristics.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you returned to the solar system in 10 billion years, you would be most likely to find a white dwarf. This is because it is the expected end state of stars like our own Sun. Our Sun, with a mass less than 1.4 times that of the Sun (Msun) at the end of its fuel-burning stage, is projected to end its life cycle as a white dwarf composed mainly of carbon and oxygen. Neutron stars and black holes are the remnants of much more massive stars. A star must have a core mass greater than 1.4 and up to about 3 Msun after it has exhausted its nuclear fuel to become a neutron star. For a star that collapses at the end of its life, if the remaining mass of the core is more than about three times that of the Sun, it may become a black hole. However, since the Sun's mass is not sufficient to end as a neutron star or a black hole, we would not find either of these at the solar system's location in 10 billion years.

User Misterjinx
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