What if the Sun Stopped Shining?
Joyce GuzikWe take for granted that the sun will rise and set each day to warm us and light our world. The sun’s shining appears to have been nearly constant during recorded history. The Earth’s weather, its seasons, and the movement of its oceans are dependent on the constant input of energy from the Sun. However, our experience suggests that nothing remains unchanging forever. Presumably there was a time when the Sun didn’t exist, and there will be a time when it will stop shining. But how do we know anything about the sun? What is the sun’s composition, and how did it form? How do we know what is going on in the sun’s interior, and what is responsible for its energy generation? How does this energy escape to reach the Earth? What is the evidence that it was once much dimmer than today, but that before its ultimate death its intensity will increase so much that the oceans will boil, and life on Earth will come to an end? If this is really the fate of the sun and the Earth, is there anything we could do about it? Come to a lively Cafe that will explore the many fascinating aspects of our own star.
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