What would happen to Earth if the sun suddenly vanished?

A very long solar filament that had been snaking around the sun erupted with a flourish on Dec. 6, 2010. (Image credit: NASA/GSFC/SOHO) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 1 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter The sun has been Earth's constant companion ever since our planet emerged. But if the sun were to suddenly disappear, what would happen to our home planet? To understand the fate of a sunless Earth, it's important to know how both arose. The sun formed about 4.6 billion years ago, when a massive spinning cloud of gas and dust collapsed in on itself and condensed, creating the biggest object in what would become our solar system and eventually reaching a temperature of 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (15 million degrees Celsius) at its core. Much of the remaining material nearby then clumped up to form Earth and the other rocky planets, including Mercury, Venus and Mars, as well as moons and asteroids. Since its formation, Earth has been heavily reliant on its star. The sun's gravitational pull keeps our planet in orbit in the " Goldilocks zone ," the just-right distance from its star where it's not too hot or too cold for water to exist as a liquid on a planet's surface. The sun also drives photosynthesis and water cycles, and it provides sunlight and heat, which influence our climate. Plus, the sun's ultraviolet light helps our bodies make vitamin D , which is needed for healthy bones and teeth. Article continues below If the sun suddenly vanished, Earth and the vast majority of life would be in dire straits. It would start "a ticking time bomb on the survival of every living thing on earth that relies on photosynthesis, which is the vast majority of surface life and all of humanity," Timothy Cronin , an associate professor of atmospheric science at MIT, told Live Science over email. For at least 8 minutes, 20 seconds, no one would know the sun went missing ‪—‬ that's how long it takes light from the sun to reach Earth . During that time, "we'd almost certainly have no idea that anything had happened," Cronin said. Then, the real trouble would begin. After the sun's eight-minute swan song, there would be "a sudden blackout," Cronin said. Without sunlight, artificial lighting from electricity, oil or gas would be the main ways we could still generate light, along with fire , bioluminescence and fluorescence. We'd lose tra