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Originally Posted by
rodsky
Current possible reasons how/why the earth will be destroyed:
1. NEO (Near-earth object) impact (asteroids, comets)
2. Sun's growth in size (won't start happening til about 4.8 billion years from now)
3. Runaway greenhouse (the earth itself as a planet possibly won't be destroyed, but any semblance of life as we know it might get wiped out)
4. Direct-path exposure to polar discharge of nearby GBR (gamma-ray burst)
Even if 1, 3 and 4 don't happen, 4.8 billion years from now, the earth will be fried anyways.
-RODION