The correct answer is:
B. First it will contract, and then it will expand and become much larger than its current size.
Explanation:
1. The Sun is currently in the main sequence phase of its life cycle where it fuses hydrogen into helium in its core, producing energy.
2. As the Sun exhausts its hydrogen fuel in the core, it will start to contract under its gravity, causing the core to heat up and the outer layers to expand.
3. After this contraction phase, the outer layers of the Sun will expand, and it will become a red giant, engulfing Mercury, Venus, and possibly Earth in the process.
4. Eventually, the outer layers of the Sun will be expelled into space, forming a planetary nebula, leaving behind a hot core known as a white dwarf.
5. The white dwarf will gradually cool down over billions of years, fading into a dark, dense object known as a black dwarf.
Therefore, in the next two stages of its life cycle, the Sun will first contract and then expand to become a red giant before transitioning into a white dwarf.
