A groundbreaking study by physicists from Cornell University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and other global institutions has proposed a startling new timeline for the universe’s future. According to their findings, the universe, currently expanding, will reach its maximum size in approximately 7 billion years before beginning a dramatic contraction, culminating in a phenomenon dubbed the “Big Crunch.”

The research, which draws on data from major astronomical surveys like the Dark Energy Survey and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, predicts that this collapse—where all matter compresses back into a singular point—will occur roughly 33.3 billion years from now. Given the universe’s current age of 13.8 billion years, this leaves about 20 billion years before the cosmos faces its potential end.

This new model challenges the prevailing theory of eternal cosmic expansion. Instead, it likens the universe’s behavior to a stretched rubber band, where the force of expansion eventually weakens, allowing a reverse pull to dominate. The key player in this cosmic drama is dark energy, which constitutes about 70% of the universe and has long been considered the engine of its expansion. However, the study suggests that dark energy may not be constant but dynamic, capable of weakening over time, leading to a slowing expansion and eventual contraction.

According to the researchers, the universe will grow to about 1.69 times its current size before the contraction begins. Upcoming astronomical projects are expected to shed further light on dark energy’s behavior, potentially confirming or refuting this “Big Crunch” hypothesis. While the scenario sounds apocalyptic, the timeline is so vast that it dwarfs human concerns—Earth’s complex life, for instance, has only existed for 600 million years, and the Sun will burn out long before any cosmic collapse, likely within 5 billion years. Additionally, our galaxy is set to merge with Andromeda well before the universe’s final act.

The study’s authors caution that their predictions carry significant uncertainty due to limited data. Other outcomes, such as continued expansion, remain plausible. For now, the idea of a shrinking universe offers a fascinating glimpse into the cosmos’ distant future, but it’s no cause for immediate alarm.