Sun 'will flare into massive planetary nebula when it dies'

In 5 billion years our dying sun will transform into a stunning planetary nebula visible for millions of light years around, scientists say

Enjoy the sun while it lasts: in 5 billion years' time, our host star will burn out, rip itself apart and turn into a massive glowing ring of interstellar gas and dust, scientists say.

Astronomers have long known that the sun will die when it runs out of fuel, but the precise nature of its death throes has been far from clear, even to the most morbid of the field's practitioners.