What if the sun Disappeared?

Gravity is an inherent property of matter, a trait shared by everything with mass, encompassing celestial bodies such as the Moon, Earth, Jupiter, the Sun, and even the human body. In a curious twist, when two individuals who share a fondness for one another stand just three-quarters of a millimeter apart, the cumulative gravitational attraction between every atom in their bodies is comparable to the force exerted by the Sun upon them at this very moment.

However, these forces remain imperceptible to us due to their minuscule magnitude when contrasted with the dominant gravitational pull of the Earth. Concerning the embrace between individuals or the gravitational interaction between our bodies and the Sun, situated 150 million kilometers away, these forces are inconsequential, rendering the Sun's presence almost negligible.

But what if the Sun were to vanish suddenly? It's essential to acknowledge that such an event is highly improbable. The Sun is expected to perish billions of years from now, expanding to a point where it engulfs the Earth after vaporizing our oceans. Disappearance is not within its nature, as matter and energy do not simply cease to exist. While there's a possibility of quantum tunneling on a microscopic scale, such a scenario is incredibly unlikely on the solar scale, rendering it a topic of negligible consideration.

Nonetheless, for the sake of a thought experiment, let's explore what would transpire if the Sun were to vanish. The initial moment of its disappearance would remain unnoticed for over eight minutes, as it takes that much time for its light to reach Earth. Once this realization dawned upon us, confusion and widespread panic would likely ensue.

The Sun's gravitational influence on Earth would also dissipate after the same 8 minutes and 20 seconds, as gravity waves propagate at the speed of light. Consequently, the Earth would continue along a straight-line path tangent to its previous orbit, gradually departing from its previous course.

Due to the finite speeds of light and gravity, we'd still be able to observe our planetary neighbors functioning unaffected for a period. For instance, Jupiter would continue to orbit and reflect sunlight for about 30 minutes after we acknowledged the Sun's disappearance. Depending on its orbital position, it could take another 30 minutes to an hour for us to witness Jupiter's reflected light vanishing.

In a Sunless environment, the universe itself would become our sole source of visible light from space. While the Milky Way contributes roughly 1/300th of a full Moon's light, this would provide some illumination. Additionally, electricity and fossil fuels would remain usable for a time, allowing cities to continue their nighttime glow, albeit universally.

Photosynthesis, a cornerstone of Earth's productivity, would cease immediately, profoundly impacting the natural world. Most plants would perish within days or weeks, except for large species like mighty trees, which could theoretically survive in the darkness for years, primarily relying on their stored energy. However, the Earth would rapidly cool down, causing these giants to freeze to death long before they faced starvation.

Our planet's average surface temperature, which currently hovers around 14 to 15 degrees Celsius, would plummet as the Sun's energy waned. By the end of the first week without the Sun, the Earth's average surface temperature would be freezing at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). This situation, while challenging, is manageable for a short period, but a year without the Sun would bring about a dramatic drop, reaching -73 degrees Celsius (-100 degrees Fahrenheit).

In such dire circumstances, seeking refuge in geothermal regions like Yellowstone or Iceland would be the best option for human survival. These areas rely on Earth's internal heat, generated from the planet's formation and the decay of radioactive elements in the core, maintaining temperatures necessary for survival.

While life on the surface faced bleak prospects, Earth's oceans would freeze over in approximately a year. Nevertheless, ice, being less dense than liquid water, would float, insulating any liquid water below. Hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor would continue to spew superheated water, preserving a habitat where extremophiles could flourish. These unique microorganisms, existing in the ocean's depths, derive their energy not from photosynthesis but through chemosynthesis, making them largely independent of solar energy.

In the absence of the Sun, these extremophiles would persevere, unaware of the Sun's disappearance or even its previous existence. While most life on Earth relies on the Sun, these remarkable organisms provide a fascinating exception.

It's remarkable to contemplate how life on Earth, even without the Sun, could find a way to persist. Rather than succumbing to a frozen and dormant fate, our planet would become a spaceship carrying passengers fueled by geothermal energy, capable of sustaining life for billions of years. This hypothetical journey would propel Earth at an astonishing speed, covering approximately 30 kilometers every second. Over a billion years, it could travel vast distances, potentially encountering other stars, giving extremophiles a chance to proliferate and develop new life forms.

In this extraordinary scenario, the resilience of life, adapted to Earth's conditions, would prevail, revealing the incredible tenacity of the living systems that call our planet home. Despite the absence of the Sun, Earth would continue its journey through space, a beacon of life in the darkness.