What if the sun vanished: Earth's fate without its star, solar system's quiet collapse

Our sun, currently in its prime, is expected to shine for another 5 billion years. Eventually, it will transform into a red giant, potentially engulfing inner planets. Afterward, it will become a white dwarf, slowly cooling and fading. Over trillions of years, the solar system's gravitational bonds will weaken, scattering planets into space.