What would happen if the sun just stopped?
Bill Clinton
Posts: 9,389 Forum Member
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How long would it take life on earth to cease as we descended into the darkness and gnawing freezing cold temperatures of space (already feels like it now in some parts of the UK)?
Could death be instant or would life on earth actually take some time to wear down, how would the atmosphere dissipate and how quickly would the oceans react?
Could death be instant or would life on earth actually take some time to wear down, how would the atmosphere dissipate and how quickly would the oceans react?
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In reality though, I think you're talking a matter of days at best for normal people. Gravity would keep our atmosphere in place for a bit, but without sunlight and photosynthesis, we'd all freeze and suffocate. I'd imagine all the carbon dioxide would freeze eventually, forming an frozen layer covering the globe.
But don't worry though, the sun won't just stop like that - It'll explode first
Yes, but we're talking about it simply going out here!
Actually, looking around the internet, many people take the view that we'd last quite a long time if we adapted quickly, utilising heat from the Earth, lava vents, geothermal vents and such like.
I think it'd definitely require living underground though.
I know, I was just trying to add a bit of levity to an otherwise rather gloomy subject.
Where's Lebit Opik when you need him. When they were in opposition that's exactly the sort of thing that'd get him campaigning. Now they're in government he'd probably claim to have more important priorities.
That made me lol:D
The Sun would expand and "swallow up" the few/multiple planets closest to it, so, you could say we'd be fried if you like. If we didn't have the Sun's vague warmth (even on a freezing day), I doubt we'd last until the next morning. It would likely be the equivalent of being in a big freezer x5 ..... maybe more. The longer you stay in freezing temperatures for (without enough clothing to keep you warm enough) the more organs in your body start shutting down, starting with those innermost. You'd eventually freeze to death and might even get frostbite on any exposed skin.
1. If it simply froze in its current state (same mass etc but no radiation output) - the earth would notice in about 8 minutes and would over the course of a few days and weeks - freeze to death.
2. If all nuclear reactions stopped suddenly, but the normal laws of physics still applied - then the suns core would no longer be able to support the outer layers due to radiation pressure and the outer layers would collapse inwards under gravity. The heat generated by the infalling material would probably cause a rebound effect blowing the sun appart and frying the earth. It would probably be something similar to a core collapse supernova.
Oh yes it's bad enough when it snows the panic buying that goes on. I remember the other week a bloke on the local news declaring in dramatic tones that if bread and milk wasn't delivered to the village shop "the children would die."
If it just stopped working - so to speak - It would implode pretty much straight away. Earth would be annihilated as soon as the shockwave hit us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pail_of_Air
something along the lines of not being an MP any more..?
Even longer delays by Amerzon?
According to what I have read in the past, we'd last just five days, even if we had access to all of Earth's resources immediately.
If the Sun suddenly goes out, it's game over.
Klingons made it happen with a trilithium cobalt torpedo.