S Ori to scale (artist’s impression)

Sketch of a pulsating red giant of the Mira type overlaid to the inner Solar System. In this image the star S Ori is centred on the Sun's position : the Sun itself in 5 billion years will evolve to this stage before cooling down as a white dwarf. When it will become a red giant, such as S Orionis, its average size will enshroud the orbit of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and Mars. Jupiter's orbit will be just outside the maser shell. All the distances are to scale, while the diameters of the Sun, planets and maser spots are not.