Do you know what will happen if the Sun disappears?

Let's suppose that the Sun suddenly took off and disappeared. Not just stopped shining, but it disappeared. Ever wondered what would happen then? In fact, extremely interesting things will happen.

First of all, we do not immediately know that the Sun is no more. His light need to approximately 8 minutes, or rather 499 seconds, to reach the Earth. This means that we will spend all this time in blissful ignorance, not even suspecting that we have problems. Serious problems.

When those 8 minutes have passed, the light will stop coming to Earth and night will suddenly fall - as if someone had flipped a switch. No sunsets, no twilight, because the star simply disappeared, and did not fade out gradually.

Moreover, at this moment, not only the light of the Sun will cease to affect the Earth, but also its gravity - scientists relatively recently figured outthat the speed of its waves is equal to the speed of light.

Imagine: you spin the ball on the rope above your head, and then release it.

So, you are the Sun, the rope is gravity, and the ball is our long-suffering planet. Is the analogy clear?

Without gravity, the Earth will fly away into space. Do not worry, some terrible consequences, most likely, will not happen - it's another matter if she just stopped.

The planet will not be torn apart - it is like flew at a speed of approximately 29.78 km / s (107,200 km / h) in space, and will continue fly yourself. Just not in a circular orbit, but in a straight line - to a beautiful far away.

The chances of colliding with other planets are negligible: the solar system is so hugethat they are in it like peas scattered across the football field. In addition, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and other celestial bodies will also scatter in all directions along direct trajectories without hitting us.

However, we will not see this: the celestial bodies of our system will simply disappear from our field of vision. After all, they only reflect the light of the star, and without it they will become invisible to astronomers.

For example, rays required about 33 minutes to fly from the Sun to Jupiter. Add to this the time after which they, reflected, will reach the Earth. As a result, we will be able to observe the giant planet through a telescope or with the naked eye for about an hour, and then it will disappear for us.

The Moon, which is close to us, will become invisible already 500.3 seconds after the disappearance of the Sun - after all, the light from it to us gets in 1.3 seconds.

It is also not necessary to hope that our Earth will be picked up and gently warmed by another star.

At a speed of 29.78 km / s, we will even reach our nearest Alpha Centauri fly a good 43,000 years - and then if we are accidentally thrown in its direction. And so the Earth is most likely doomed rotate around the center of the Milky Way, like all other rogue planets.

The journey will be rather bleak. Eternal night will come on Earth, and we will be able to see the stars and darkness space regardless of the time of day. Photosynthesis stop, and small plants will wither and die out, and very quickly - in a matter of days. But there will be big trees continue live for years or even decades on accumulated nutrients.

The temperature will start to drop. In order to give off heat to the surrounding space, the Earth will need time: to zero the thermometer descend somewhere in a week, and in a year it will drop to -100 °C.

Well, after a few million years it stabilizes at -240 ° C - this is how much the Earth's core can heat the surface, explains David Stevenson, professor of planetary science at the University of California.

In the center of the planet, heat will remain for a long time: the mantle and core are very hot.

If people have time to build underground cities closer to them, or at least be able to settle near volcanoes and geothermal sources, then in theory they can stretch out for some time.

On the surface, life would naturally disappear completely. But in the oceans, no. They will be covered with a thick crust of ice several kilometers thick, but inside they will remain liquid. The conditions there will be remind those on Titan, a moon of Saturn.

Algae and bacteria will survive, but the fish will have a hard time. Although deep-sea specimens also have a chance to adapt.

In another few million years, the oceans of the rogue Earth get cold to the bottom, killing the remaining life there. Of course, in the presence of nuclear energy sources and the ability to extract oxygen from water ice individual settlements of people can still last for some time, but it will be a rather sad life. And sooner or later they will freeze or suffocate anyway.

In fairness, the disappearance of the Sun will also be useful - so, at least, thinks NASA physicist Randall Munro. For example, without it, it will be possible to observe the stars around the clock. And since people will move to live underground, the artificial light of cities will also cease to interfere with contemplating the beauties of space.

In addition, with the disappearance of the luminary, it will no longer be necessary to take into account the time zones of the Earth and it will be possible to switch to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). In theory, this positively affect stock trading. If she keeps.