The Big Rip: A Universe Torn Apart

The Big Rip is a possible fate where dark energy grows stronger over time.
In this scenario, cosmic expansion accelerates until it overcomes all forces.
First, galaxies drift apart faster than gravity can hold them.
Later, solar systems, stars, and planets are torn from their bonds.
Eventually, even atoms themselves are ripped apart.
The timeline depends on the nature of dark energy—possibly trillions of years, or sooner.
Observations suggest expansion is accelerating, but it’s unclear if it leads to a Big Rip.
If true, the universe would end in an ever-quickening cascade of destruction.
The Big Rip challenges our understanding of dark energy’s role in cosmic evolution.
It is both terrifying and fascinating—a cosmos that unravels itself from the inside out.