Distant Planet Shows How, Our Solar System Could Die.<br />In a recent study published in 'Nature,' astronomers claim to have found a darkened planet hovering around the remains of a burned-out star.<br />The surviving planet is around <br />6,000 light-years from Earth.<br />Astronomers say these <br />findings may illustrate how <br />the Earth will appear when <br />it's nearing the end of its life cycle.<br />The dead star is known <br />as a white dwarf.<br />A white dwarf is the remnant <br />of a star's red giant phase.<br />The red giant phase in the death of a star refers to when the star expands tens of thousands of times after depleting all of its hydrogen fuel <br />for nuclear fusion reactions.<br />A planet in the vicinity of <br />a star in its red giant phase <br />is likely to be destroyed.<br />Astronomers suggest the fate of this newly found planet may show what will happen to Earth <br />when the sun runs out of hydrogen.<br />Science suggests the sun will <br />burn up all of its hydrogen fuel<br />in around 5 billion years.<br />During its red giant phase, the <br />sun will have become too hot for <br />anything to survive on Earth.<br />When the sun balloons outwards in what’s known as its red giant phase, it will likely obliterate Mercury and Venus and possibly Earth, Joshua Blackman, astronomer University of Tasmania, <br />via study published in Nature magazine