An artist’s representation of a black hole destroying Earth. Credit: ESO/M.Kornmesse
What are the chances of dark matter or a black hole ripping apart Earth?
Anthony Rico
Lexington, Kentucky
Our planet is safe from being ripped apart by either a black hole or dark matter. The gravity between objects in our solar system overcomes the gravity from the Milky Way’s dark matter, so that rules out this mysterious mass.
As for a black hole, scientists don’t know of any rogue ones near us, and it would have to pass extremely close to our planet to affect Earth. Our Sun doesn’t have enough material to eventually become a black hole. It would need to be some 20 times more massive to turn into a black hole at the end of its life. So, we don’t have to worry about a black hole ripping apart our planet either.
Related: How will the Sun die?
Liz Kruesi
Associate editor
Editor’s note: This article was first published as an audio file in 2011. It has been transcribed and republished.