What would happen to the earth if it suddenly stopped receiving light from the sun, on a time based scale?

Question

Given that daily solar insolation would be reduced to zero, how quickly would things change on our planet.

I.E., the great big light just went out... how would we mark significant upcoming events on our calendar?

Answer 1

Boom..

Answer 2

Well, it takes 8 minutes for light to travel from the sun to the earth. That being said you wouldn't even know the sun was out for those 8 minutes...

Shortly thereafter you would start to notice weather patterns becoming more stable for the first couple of days, ie. less violent weather.

Also during the first 48 hrs. temperatures would start to rapidly decrease to near freezing around the globe. After 48 hrs temperatures would continue to plummit well below -150 degrees Farenheight.

The only possible heat to warm the earth at this point would be from the energy the earth releases on its' own through geothermal activity such as volcanoes and the like. Even then this would not be that big of a help because the sun heats the surface of the earth a lot more than the earth itself...

So... the earth would just be a big dark ice cube after a week. Your best bet to survive as long as possible would be to huddle up next to a volcanoe to stay warm, hopefully avoiding be cooked in the process. Even so... you would run out of food quickly and then it would take you about 2-4 weeks to starve.

All in all it would be a very pretty picture indeed :)

Answer 3

It takes five minutes for us to recieve light even though it doesn't seem like it because were constantly receiving light. If the sun were to go out (nowhere during our time) the core would collapse in less than a second causing a explosion called a supernova were talking a shockwave that would shoot out the outer layers of the sun probably blasting us pretty hard. Alot of life would die during the supernova even though by the time it reached us it would be on a smaller scale. The supernova would send of a huge light brighter than the entire galaxy. If the sun's core survived we would still have some means of light but enough to power small items it would be very hard to see, by this time alot of the earth would be frozen there might be some warmer or safe areas but I doubt it. Life on Earth would become hell and if it goes to wrong we would probaly lose our gravitational pull and shoot throught the universe and probably burn up doing so. If the core doesn't make it though it would just become a black hole and it wouldn't be good for us, I think you can do the math on that one. Either way the Earth is pretty much doomed. So that is the fun little story on the sun dying, or burning out

Answer 4

This is a really good question. It is especially so because you refer to light, the visible part of the EM spectrum, and not of the rest: Infrared, microwave, uv, and the remaining part that is carried across to the Earth from the Sun. I believe that Plant life and other microbial life would still thrive but creatures, like ourselves, who use optical lenses, will be blinded, except few who can see uv. As far as civilization, we will be doomed, mostly because we will have to use a lot of energy to provide electrical power and emit greater carbon dioxide waste. To mark Solar events, we can possibly use sensors for another EM radiation. If you do mean discontinuing all parts of EM radiation, all life will die. I think it is funny that visible light could be blocked, just like gamma rays. Follow me up if you think there is any other effects/possibilities.

Answer 5

What we call 'cold' is simply the absence of heat. There are no other heat sources anywhere near Earth besides our sun, so there would only be cold. If the Sun was to go out, everything on earth would automatically freeze in its tracks literally. I mean even the coldest parts of Antarctica are reached by sunlight. Needless to say all life on earth would stop living.

Answer 6

This would take 8 minutes. It takes 8 minutes for light to come to Earth from the Sun. Its would be freezing, we would die. Plants and animals won't survive.

Answer 7

Well first the world goes panic.
Second US and UN start poining fingers for who is resposable.
Third The anarchy to survival will start or space migration for 20 years later.

Finally earth will be own by guys like hugo chavez.

Answer 8

2 Minutes: Anarchy

3 Minutes: CNN declares anarchy

4 Weeks: Congress declares that the sun has stopped working, and that it threatens national economics.

5 Weeks: Scientists decided that the loss of solar power is directly related to global warming.

7 Weeks: God comes back and saves us all, because we're too stupid to save ourselves.

Answer 9

Give it about a day before the Earth becomes Minnesota winter...forever.

Why do global warming doom-sayers never discuss the Sun???

Answer 10

what happens depends on how long we stopped receiving he light for. If if happened at night only the half the world facing the sun would notice. this brings us to Nasa's impending plan to send astronauts to the sun. they plan to avoid the heat
by going at night.

Answer 11

If the Earth stopped getting sunlight that might mean the sun exploded and we all be corpses.