What would happen if the sun stopped shining?

6/19/2018

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Science Story: What would happen if the sun stopped shining?

It’s impossible to switch off the sun. Neither can it disappear. Nevertheless, scientists know for sure what will happen to our planet if the sun stops shining.

Here you’ll find a list of consequences that can follow.

#1 8 minutes and 20 seconds

Astronauts on the International Space Station will be the first to see the sun is off. However, they’ll see it in 8 minutes and 20 seconds: it is the time sunlight needs to reach the Earth.

#2 No moonlight any more

The moon reflects light from the sun and doesn’t shine by itself. So, we won’t be able see it in case the sun is off.

#3 The world temperature

The world temperature will drop to freezing temperatures. In a week it’ll be -4F (-20С). In a year -94F (-70С).

#4 Life on Earth

Plants are the first to suffer. They can’t exist without photosynthesis, which is impossible without the sun. All small plants will be dead in several weeks. Trees will live for several years. As for people, they can survive underground or deep in the World's Ocean while the Earth's core will be still hot.

#5 Gravitation

If the sun disappears, nothing will keep planets in orbits. They will be drifting outside the solar system till they get under a stronger gravitational force of another object. Or until the moment they'll crash into a large space object.

#6 Positive changes?

Generally, nobody will be happy without the sun. However, technically, satellite communication could work better under such circumstances and ground-based observatories could work round the clock.

Do you think it can really happen one day? Share in comments!

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

32 Comments

David Colloby

Well I reckon that I'll be long gone by then

Denny Quigley

I doubt we will be around when the sun burns out in a billion or so years. This will likely be preceded by and imploding into a brown dwarf. This implosion will release massive amounts of refutation which would wipe out all life on earth. And the time it takes light to reach earth depends on where the earth is in it orbit. It can take almost 9 minutes.