In a news article published years ago on Sputnik, the following question was posed: Have you ever wondered what would happen to Earth if the sun suddenly went out? This question once crossed the mind of the famous physicist Albert Einstein. Initially, during the first eight minutes after the sun went dark, no one would notice, because, in reality, it takes 8 minutes for light to travel from the sun to Earth. However, after these minutes, the Earth would be plunged into complete darkness, with only the distant stars remaining visible.
**Freezing Cold**
After that, within a few hours, temperatures would begin to drop, according to planetary scientist Dr. David Stevenson from the California Institute of Technology. He pointed out that ice would cover the planet's surface after a few days. Sputnik reported Stevenson as saying that "the temperature of the Earth would drop to zero after one week, and 100 degrees below zero after one year, leading to the extinction of most plant and animal life, with only some microorganisms remaining."
**Volcanic Heat**
According to the site, "humans might be able to hide in submarines in the deepest and warmest parts of the ocean, but the best places would be homes powered by nuclear energy and geothermal energy." For example, in Iceland, 87% of homes have already improved their environment using geothermal energy (that is, heat from the Earth's interior). Professor Eric Blackman from the University of Rochester stated that "thanks to the use of volcanic heat, people could survive for hundreds of years."
Writer Randall Munroe attempted to address the question in his book "What If...?" about what would happen to our planet if the sun suddenly went out. Despite his grim conclusion that "we would all die from the cold," Munroe tried to find some positive points, stating that "solar flares would not threaten us, satellites would function better, astronomy would be easier, and global trade would improve significantly because there would be no need for time zones."
It is worth noting that "the sun not only heats our planet but also keeps it in orbit. Therefore, if the star went out, Earth could drift away and potentially collide with another celestial body." However, most researchers have good news: according to their predictions, the sun will not extinguish for about another 5 billion years due to a lack of hydrogen.
