NASA Study Pinpoints Earth's Final Oxygen Timeline: Breathable Air at Risk

Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere feels permanent, but scientists say it’s only temporary on a planetary scale—lasting about a billion more years. As the Sun ages and grows brighter, Earth’s climate and carbon cycle will change, eventually reducing oxygen to levels too low for complex life. This isn’t an immediate threat, but a reminder that our breathable air is a rare, extraordinary chapter in Earth’s history, created by life itself.