What If The Earth Stopped Orbiting The Sun

Summary

What if Earth suddenly stopped spinning? This scenario would lead to catastrophic consequences for life on the planet. Initially, humans would be flung into space, but even a gradual halt would bring a devastating rise in temperatures. Within weeks, global temperatures would soar to unbearable levels, causing wildfires, droughts, and widespread death among flora and fauna. By day 54, temperatures would exceed 160 degrees, extinguishing the last remnants of life. Ultimately, Earth would be pulled closer to the sun, morphing into a barren wasteland before succumbing to extreme heat and volcanic activity, culminating in its destruction.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Earth travels around the sun at a speed of 110,000 kph.
• ⚠️ If Earth suddenly stopped, you would immediately be flung into space due to inertia.
• 🌡️ A gradual slowdown would lead to a horrific death as temperatures rise dramatically.
• ☀️ The sun's gravity would pull Earth toward it if it stopped, causing a catastrophic temperature increase.
• 📈 After two months, the global temperature could rise to 48 degrees Celsius, similar to conditions in Death Valley.
• 🔥 Extreme heat would lead to widespread droughts and wildfires, killing crops and wildlife.
• 😰 Prolonged exposure to the sun would result in severe sunburn within just 15 minutes outdoors.
• 💡 Running air conditioning on a massive scale to cope with rising temperatures would overwhelm global power grids.
• 💧 Some extremophiles, like Thermus aquaticus, might survive in extreme heat, but they would eventually perish.
• 🌍 By the end of the timeline, Earth would become uninhabitable and disintegrate due to extreme gravitational forces.

Q & A

What would happen immediately if the Earth stopped rotating?

If Earth stopped suddenly, you would fly off the planet and hurtle into space, similar to lurching forward in a car when the brakes are slammed.

How would a gradual slowdown of Earth affect us?

A gradual slowdown would lead to a slower, yet still horrific death, as the sun's gravity would eventually pull the Earth toward it.

What is the initial temperature change after Earth stops?

In the first week after stopping, the average global temperature would rise less than 1 degree Celsius, hovering around 16 degrees.

What happens to global temperatures by day 21?

By day 21, global temperatures would rise to 35 degrees Celsius, leading to severe droughts, wildfires, and crop failures.

How does UV radiation change as temperatures increase?

As temperatures rise, UV radiation becomes more intense, causing severe sunburn after just 15 minutes of exposure outdoors.

What temperature is reached by day 35, and what happens to living organisms?

By day 35, temperatures would reach 48 degrees Celsius, resulting in the death of most mammals, birds, and insects due to cellular damage.

Why would humanity struggle to survive in these extreme conditions?

Humanity would struggle to survive because the energy needed to run millions of air conditioning units would overwhelm power grids, leaving no way to keep cool.

What is the fate of life on Earth by day 54?

By day 54, temperatures would exceed 160 degrees Celsius, leading to the extinction of the last remnant of life, including heat-resistant bacteria.

What geological changes occur to Earth by the final day?

On the final day, Earth's extreme gravity would stretch it into an oval shape, causing magma to leak through the crust.

What temperature is reached at noon on the last day, and what happens then?

At noon on the last day, temperatures would hit 3,800 degrees Celsius, resulting in Earth tearing apart and ultimately ceasing to exist.