The sun is a fundamental energy source for life on Earth. In fact, one of the things that makes life on our planet possible is precisely the distance it is from the sun. We are at a convenient middle point: neither too close to burn, nor too far to freeze to death. In fact, scientists speculate that in extreme conditions life itself would not have occurred, although it remains to be seen whether life could exist on other planets with less favorable conditions than ours. In any case, Have you ever wondered what would happen if the sun went out unexpectedly? At we invite you to discover it.
What would happen if the sun went out?
The sun is a fundamental part not only of our ecosystem, but of our… solar system. It doesn’t have that name for nothing: the sun is the center of our small planetary environment, or at least that’s what scientists have managed to discover so far. But the sun is also our main source of energy. Exposure to the sun helps us collect some vitamins. Furthermore, the plants we feed on depend largely on the sun, since thanks to it they are nourished and grow. And the animals we feed on, in turn, either feed on other animals that feed on plants, or they feed directly on plants. So, can you imagine what would happen if the sun went out? Certain catastrophe. Let’s learn a little more about it.
1. A world without light
One of the first differences we would notice if the sun went out is the absence of light. We wouldn’t notice it instantly, since the time it takes for sunlight to reach the earth is about eight minutes. Therefore, it would take us that same amount of time to notice that the sun has gone out. Obviously, this is not the most lethal consequence, although it would cost us dearly in the long term. At least in the beginning we could use artificial light, after all human beings have acquired different sources of energy that could sustain us for a while.
But what if the sun went out while it was night on our side of the planet? Well then we would not be able to see the moon, since the only reason we can see this large satellite at night is because it «borrows» the light of the sun for itself. So whether it happened during the day or at night, we would notice the difference. But this is only the first consequence. Without a doubt, what would happen if the sun went out would not be to our liking. Let’s get to know a little more.
2. A world without plants
One of the curiosities of the sun is that it basically feeds the entire earth, in one way or another. One of the consequences that would most directly affect us is that without the sun plants would not be able to survive. Not only would we live in a perpetual night, as dark on the Earth’s surface as it is in the depths of space, but also, soon the plants would disappear. Not only that, but we would also face that there would be no photosynthesis and therefore not only would the plants disappear, but we would also lose our main source of oxygen. After all, it is through this process that plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
However, all would not be lost. In fact, some large trees could survive much longer, due to the large glucose reserves they maintain. Furthermore, the oxygen that would persist on the planet would still last a long enough time. However, the food chain would be broken, and this would be very difficult to repair, which is why one of the worst contexts we can imagine is what would happen if the sun went out.
3. Would humans survive?
And what would happen to human beings if the sun went out? The truth is that our survival without sunlight would be very much in doubt. To begin with, because the planet would cool at a great speed. In fact, Most likely, a week after the sun has gone out the planet would have an average temperature of -20°C. And a year later we would be at about -73°C. This would obviously greatly complicate the situation, firstly due to the limited food available, and secondly due to the few living spaces. Of course, the human population would be drastically reduced in a very short time. Despite that, it is not entirely unimaginable that some of us managed to survive living in a bunker or in some kind of space adapted for our survival.
In any case, it must be clarified that if the sun went out the conditions would be very unfavorable for human beings, and that our real chances of survival would be very slim. In fact, it is possible that our planet began to resemble other more icy and desert planets in our solar system.
4. And our solar system?
We have already seen what would happen to our planet, more or less, if the sun went out, but what would happen to our solar system? To begin with, do you know why it is called a solar system? Because it revolves around the sun. And why does this happen? Because the sun is the largest mass and, therefore, the star with the greatest gravity in our system. This causes us to rotate around it, but if the sun went out this would no longer be the case. Probably if this happened, all the planets in our system would emerge in different directions in space. It is also very likely that after a while they will come across other systems with a large star that attracts them, but, while this happens, the Earth and other planets in our system would wander aimlessly through space.
So what would happen if the sun went out would not be anything positive for man. The worst of all? This is a war announced, since we already know enough about space to know that all stars collapse at some point. The good news? This does not seem to be in a short time. In fact, one of the curiosities of the solar system, as well as our galaxy, is that they are relatively young compared to the rest of the unknown space that surrounds us, which leaves us in a position of relative advantage over time. However, it is something that, scientists say, is going to happen. Maybe not in 100 years, maybe not in 1000, maybe not even in 100,000, but it will happen.
What did you think of our article about what would happen if the sun went out? Did you imagine that this could have such dire consequences for our future? And, what would you do if the great star declined? Leave us your opinion in the comments, we will be looking forward to reading you!