What if the sun suddenly disappeared?

Written By ندى ماهر عبدربه on 2023/10/03

This article was written originally in Arabic and is translated using a 3rd party automated service. ArabiaWeather is not responsible for any grammatical errors whatsoever.

Arabia Weather - What if the sun suddenly disappeared? This is a curious question about the possible effects on the planet and life on Earth if the Sun disappeared. Everything in these scenarios depends on the current understanding of science and physics, which says that the Sun is the main source of energy and heat, which allows life to exist on the planet Earth. Under the laws of general gravitation proposed by Newton and Einstein's theory of relativity, the orbits of the planets and other celestial bodies depend on the influence of the sun's gravitational force, and if the sun suddenly disappeared, this would have a major impact on the movement and balance of the solar system. Among these effects are:<ul style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"><li style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Planets freeze</li></ul> The planets in the solar system will gradually freeze, becoming "ice planets", making life on their surfaces impossible.<ul style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"><li style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Interruption of sea currents</li></ul> Ocean currents depend on ocean surface temperatures, and if the oceans freeze, this system will be disrupted and this will lead to massive changes in climate and weather on Earth, bringing greater cold and dryness.<ul style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"><li style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> The end of life as we know it</li></ul> The sources of light and heat that plants need to photosynthesise and survive will be cut off, and organisms will gradually die due to the cold and lack of food and light.<ul style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"><li style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Loss of communication with outer space</li></ul> Spaceflight and space stations will be greatly affected, as they depend on the sun as a source of energy. <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/uploads-2020/%D8%B7%D9%82%D8%B3%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%20%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B0%D8%A7%20%D9%84%D9%88%20%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%B3%202.jpg" style="width: 480px; height: 600px;" /><h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> First scenario</h2> In the first scenario, when the Sun suddenly disappears, the Earth must escape from the grip of solar gravity and exit the space-time in which it passes around the Sun. The Earth will move randomly in space, and if it does not collide with any planets or asteroids, we will not feel what happened and the Earth will end up there freezing. In space, everything that lives on its surface will die due to the extreme cold. It is also possible for the sun to turn into a white dwarf suddenly, so that the planets will remain in their orbits around the white dwarf, because the large mass of the sun has not changed much, and the nights will become dark unless there is light from the white dwarf, and the moonlight will also go out; Because it no longer receives light from the sun or even from the earth, the earth will gradually become cold, plant growth will stop due to the lack of solar light, and the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will increase; Due to the lack of photosynthesis, snow will begin to fall, and because of that, life on the surface of the Earth will end. Due to the cold and lack of vital resources.<h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Second scenario</h2> In this scenario, everything would turn off and most of the water in the seas and oceans would freeze within weeks, cutting off the movement of water that is a source of electrical energy, and there would be no natural supply of electricity except from fossil sources that would quickly expire. The wind will also stop blowing, because it depends on the difference in atmospheric pressure between hot and cold areas, and as most areas become cold, the production of energy from the wind will stop. In space, satellites will malfunction due to the loss of light from the solar cells, leading to the interruption of all types of communications and the Internet. The timings of Islamic rituals such as prayer, fasting, and Hajj that depend on the light of the sun or the moon will also cease to be displayed, and jurists will have to estimate these timings in a new way, as there will be no crescent visible for the month of Ramadan, and there will be no sun that sets for iftar time, and the sky will become dark around the clock. . <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/uploads-2020/%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B0%D8%A7%20%D9%84%D9%88%20%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%B3%20%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%A3%D8%A9%D8%9F.jpg" style="width: 400px; height: 600px;" /><h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Third scenario</h2> In this apocalyptic scenario, in which the Earth turns into a white icy ball (and may even be black because there is no light to be seen), it orbits a dead sun unless Earth's inhabitants succeed in escaping into space where humanity and life on Earth will be doomed. This horrific fate has cosmologists desperately searching for planets similar to Earth, where humanity can escape and settle. However, current means of space travel remain under development, and so far we cannot reach even our neighbor Mars efficiently, and technical and scientific challenges seem to be holding us back. It is about reaching distant star planets, but it remains hopes for the future to explore space and find new areas to live and survive. <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/uploads-2020/%D8%B7%D9%82%D8%B3%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%20%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B0%D8%A7%20%D9%84%D9%88%20%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%B3%20%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%A3%D8%A9%D8%9F.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 536px;" /> Also know: <a href="https://www.arabiaweather.com/ar/content/%D9%83%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%81-%D8%A7... solar eclipse is a distinctive astronomical event. How does it happen and what are its types?</a> <a href="https://www.arabiaweather.com/ar/content/%D8%A3%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B2-%D8%A7... most prominent astronomical phenomena that the world will witness in October 2023</a><hr /> Sources: <a href="https://www.aljazeera.net/science/2020/8/1/%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B... style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr">

This article was written originally in Arabic and is translated using a 3rd party automated service. ArabiaWeather is not responsible for any grammatical errors whatsoever.

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