All About Space - UK (2020-02)

Climate change

We know

that our Sun

will become

a red giant in

approximately

5 billion years

time. By then

it will have

consumed

the terrestrial

planets, though

some planetary

material will

assimilate with

this gas giant.

*Ganymede

There is no

atmosphere to

trap heat on

Ganymede, but

it has its own

magnetic field

thanks to past

heating that

melted ice and

caused rock to

sink inwards.

* Europa

The surface

temperature of

Europa is largely

determined

by its ability

to retain the

Sun’s heat. Ice

on its surface

would be lost if

the moon was

heated though.

* Titan

As its

atmosphere

has warmed

in the past,

pockets of liquid

nitrogen may

have exploded

from the

moon’s crust. It

suggests Titan

• which sees
  liquid methane
  fill those
  craters – may be
  susceptible to
  climate change.

* Enceladus

Since it is mainly

covered by

fresh, clean ice,

Enceladus will

undoubtedly

suffer should

temperatures rise.

In the case of the

Sun becoming

larger and

warmer, the rings

of Saturn would

end up being

vaporised since

they are made

almost entirely of

water ice.

* Ceres

The dwarf

planet Ceres is

already talked

of as potentially

supporting

life, and it

is relatively

warm and wet.

Internal heat

prevents it

freezing up – a

future home?

Astronomers

are already

seeing a rise in

temperature

atUranus,

followinga

coupleof

decadesof

cooling.Itgains

mostofitsheat

frominternal

release.

It’s odd, but

Neptune,

despite being

further away

than Uranus, is

actually warmer.

It’s atmosphere

will boil off into

space as it

gets hotter.

WhenEarth

isburnedto

a crisp,Pluto

willendup

beinginanodd

situationof

havingaverage

temperatures

thatmirror

ourown

today.Itwill

havea liquid-

watersurface

anda thick

atmosphere.

Neptune

-200°C /-328° F

Pluto

-2 2 5°C /-37 3° F

Saturn

-140°C/-220°F

© Getty

The impact

of human industry

We’ve added carbondi

to the atmosphere,tra

moreheatfrom theSu

planetwilladjust overtime,

notsoonenough toavoid

lyimpacting our

wayof life.

notsoon

severe

w

Jupiter

-110°C/-166°F

Titan*

-179°C/-290°F

Europa*

-160°C/-260°F

Ganymede
-112°C/-171°F
Enceladus
-174°C/-281°F

Uranus

-195°C/-319°F

Ceres*

-7 3 ° C /-1 0 0 ° F

15C/59F

End temperature –

where things turn extreme