The end of the universe may be approaching much sooner than we previously imagined.

Researchers have significantly revised the timeline for when the universe might meet its ultimate demise.

In earlier estimations, scientists predicted the universe’s final remnants would vanish in about 10¹¹⁰⁰ years—a number so vast it consists of a 1 followed by 1,100 zeros.

However, a recent study featured in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics by three researchers from Radboud University in the Netherlands suggests a more immediate end, around 10⁷⁸ years from now, which equates to a 1 followed by just 78 zeros, as reported by Science Aim.

While 10⁷⁸ years is still an incredibly long duration, the contrast between this and the former estimate of 10¹¹⁰⁰ years is so vast it defies comprehension.

The key to this recalibration lies in Hawking radiation, a concept introduced by physicist Stephen Hawking in 1975. This theory proposes that black holes are not entirely devoid of emissions but instead gradually emit particles.

Hawking explained the process in numerous books and talks over the years, wherein a pair of temporary particles form at the edge of black holes and rather than merging, one escapes while the other is sucked into the cosmic abyss.

The surviving particle is then imbued with energy from the black hole itself.

Hawking theorized that over “extraordinarily long timescales,” black holes lose mass and eventually evaporate entirely, contradicting Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, which states that black holes can only grow larger.

The same researchers behind the new study — black-hole expert Heino Falcke, quantum physicist Michael Wondrak and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom — claimed in a 2023 paper that Hawking radiation doesn’t only affect black holes but can have the same impact on any object in space with a gravitational field.

The new study builds upon the scientists’ previous research, looking at 10 types of celestial objects to determine how long it would take for each of them to completely evaporate with Hawking-like radiation, based on their density.

The most striking finding concerns white dwarf stars — the super-dense, cooling remnants of stars such as our sun that have burned through their fuel supply.

According to the outlet, about 97% of stars in the Milky Way galaxy will one day become white dwarfs, which the new research states will vanish after a period of approximately 10⁷⁸ years.

The universe is believed to be about 13.8 billion years old, or 10¹⁰ years, meaning the revised estimate of how long the universe will last surpasses its current age by a factor of 10⁶⁸, or a 1 followed by 68 zeroes, the outlet said.

“So the ultimate end of the universe comes much sooner than expected, but fortunately, it still takes a very long time,” said lead author Heino Falcke.