It is spinning pretty fast. What if it loses it's grip on whatever it is that's tethering it to the sun? Then be whipped towards deep space like a slingshot. Can this happen? And how long would it take life to end if it did?
Could this happen to other planets?
Could this happen to other planets?
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No, it is not possible.
Because of the Sun's (and the Earth's) gravitational pull, the Earth is falling into the Sun. But it is moving past the Sun at a speed that causes it to continually miss hitting the Sun. This is not an analogy. This is one of several correct ways to look at how orbits actual work.
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What would happen if the Earth suddenly was far from the Sun or if the Sun disappeared (don't ask how)?
~ Earth normally experiences darkness half of each day during which the surface cools several tens of degrees. Without the Sun it would also cool during the other half so surface cooling would be twice as rapid.
~ Within the first two days the air temperature would be so low that no moisture could remain in it. Without clouds the Earth's heat would radiate away even more quickly.
~ Within four days all the Earths greenhouse gasses (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone) and oxygen in the atmosphere would have turned to a liquids and solids speeding the cooling even more.
~ Within one week all land areas would be frozen at least to a depth of 10 to 20 feet. The land would eventually freeze to a depth of about 1/3 to 2/3 of a mile. Except for the deepest areas, the oceans would freeze miles deep in less than a year. Near the ocean floor the water may not freeze because of Earth's internal heat.
~ Most animal and plant life would die when the atmosphere liquefies. Some life would possibly continue deep in the Earths crust (up to five miles) although the habitable zone may change dramatically and those life forms would not be capable of moving to better climes.
Because of the Sun's (and the Earth's) gravitational pull, the Earth is falling into the Sun. But it is moving past the Sun at a speed that causes it to continually miss hitting the Sun. This is not an analogy. This is one of several correct ways to look at how orbits actual work.
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What would happen if the Earth suddenly was far from the Sun or if the Sun disappeared (don't ask how)?
~ Earth normally experiences darkness half of each day during which the surface cools several tens of degrees. Without the Sun it would also cool during the other half so surface cooling would be twice as rapid.
~ Within the first two days the air temperature would be so low that no moisture could remain in it. Without clouds the Earth's heat would radiate away even more quickly.
~ Within four days all the Earths greenhouse gasses (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone) and oxygen in the atmosphere would have turned to a liquids and solids speeding the cooling even more.
~ Within one week all land areas would be frozen at least to a depth of 10 to 20 feet. The land would eventually freeze to a depth of about 1/3 to 2/3 of a mile. Except for the deepest areas, the oceans would freeze miles deep in less than a year. Near the ocean floor the water may not freeze because of Earth's internal heat.
~ Most animal and plant life would die when the atmosphere liquefies. Some life would possibly continue deep in the Earths crust (up to five miles) although the habitable zone may change dramatically and those life forms would not be capable of moving to better climes.
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