The Universe Will End Faster Than We Thought (But Don't Panic Yet)

New calculations by three scientists at Radboud University indicate that the universe is decaying at a significantly faster rate than previously thought, based on their analysis of Hawking radiation. The researchers have published their results, presented with both scientific rigor and a touch of humor, in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.

Image Credit: 3D_kot/Shutterstock.com

Their findings suggest that the final remnants of stars will take approximately 10⁷⁸ years (a one followed by 78 zeros) to vanish, a considerably shorter timeframe compared to the previously estimated 10¹¹⁰⁰ years (a one followed by 1100 zeros).

This research, conducted by black hole expert Heino Falcke, quantum physicist Michael Wondrak, and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom (all from Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands), builds upon their 2023 study.

In that earlier work, the scientists demonstrated that objects beyond black holes, such as neutron stars, can also undergo a process similar to Hawking radiation, leading to their eventual "evaporation." The researchers received numerous inquiries about the timescale of this process, both from within and outside the scientific community.

Ultimate End

The researchers' calculations suggest that the universe, considering only Hawking-like radiation, will reach its ultimate end in about 10⁷⁸ years. This is the time it would take for white dwarf stars, the most enduring celestial bodies, to decay through this process.

Previous estimations, which did not account for this effect, placed the lifespan of white dwarfs at 10¹¹⁰⁰ years. Lead author Heino Falcke commented that this means the universe's final demise will occur much sooner than anticipated, though fortunately, it is still an extraordinarily long time in the future.

The researchers approached these calculations with serious intent, yet also with a playful attitude. Their work is based on a reinterpretation of Hawking radiation. In 1975, physicist Stephen Hawking proposed that, contrary to the theory of relativity, particles and radiation could escape from black holes. At the event horizon of a black hole, pairs of temporary particles can form. Before they can annihilate each other, one particle might be pulled into the black hole while the other escapes.

This phenomenon, known as Hawking radiation, implies that black holes very slowly lose mass and energy by emitting particles and radiation, a concept that contradicts Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, which states that black holes can only grow.

Neutron Star as Slow as Black Hole

The researchers' calculations further revealed that the process of Hawking radiation theoretically applies to any object with a gravitational field. Moreover, the "evaporation time" of such an object depends solely on its density.

Surprisingly, the researchers found that neutron stars and stellar black holes are predicted to take the same amount of time to decay: 10⁶⁷ years. This was unexpected because black holes possess a stronger gravitational field, which one might intuitively think would lead to a faster rate of "evaporation."

But black holes have no surface. They reabsorb some of their own radiation which inhibits the process.

Michael Wondrak, Study Co-Author and Postdoctoral Researcher, Radboud University

Man and Moon: 10⁹⁰ Years

While engaged in these calculations, the researchers also determined the estimated evaporation time for the Moon and a human via Hawking-like radiation, which they found to be 10⁹⁰ years (a one followed by 90 zeros). The researchers astutely pointed out that other processes could potentially lead to the disappearance of humans and the Moon much faster than this calculated timeframe.

Co-author Walter van Suijlekom, a professor of mathematics at Radboud University, emphasized that this research represents an exciting interdisciplinary collaboration, where the fusion of astrophysics, quantum physics, and mathematics yields novel understandings.

By asking these kinds of questions and looking at extreme cases, we want to better understand the theory, and perhaps one day, we unravel the mystery of Hawking radiation.

Walter Van Suijlekom, Study Co-Author and Professor, Mathematics, Radboud University

Journal Reference:

Wondrak, F. M., et al. (2025) Gravitational Pair Production and Black Hole Evaporation. Physical Review Letter. doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.221502