What would happen if the Earth had a total blackout for a few days?

[zOSHelpForums]

It'll be real cold not doubt about that!

 

[Revolution 11]

I had assumed this. If the sun actually just plain disappeared completely, it would be pointless to discuss the resulting weather. The gravitational event would cause instantaneous mass earthquakes all around the world at the same time as we would all be thrust into pure darkness. Most lights would of course go out. So we would be experiencing these earthquakes in total darness. It would be a total nightmare and half the survivors would go completely mad. I doubt that anyone at all would survive the first few hours of this. A simultaneous shift of the earth's trajectory at 1G? I'm thinking mile high waves.

Actually, wouldn't the change in the Earth's velocity instantly crush a portion of people into the ground on the wrong side of the planet and fling people high into the atmosphere on the opposite corresponding side? Everyone would die from that alone.

 

[sm625]

Actually now that I think about it I dont think it would be that extreme. Because in the moment the earth first changes direction, the magnitude of the change is very small. The shift in direction from an orbital rotation to a free roaming path would be very slight at first.

 

[Revolution 11]

Actually now that I think about it I dont think it would be that extreme. Because in the moment the earth first changes direction, the magnitude of the change is very small. The shift in direction from an orbital rotation to a free roaming path would be very slight at first.

It might still be big to small objects like us. Even a minor instantaneous course correction for the Earth could add up to a high speed for us. Someone has to do the math on this to be sure. 67,000 miles per hour is the speed of the Earth's solar orbit.

Or maybe since we are also in orbit around the Sun and it affects us as well, nothing would happen?

 

[papapapapapapapababy]

a few rapes and murders, ah a cost of trillions of dollars, nothing mayor really.

 

[Revolution 11]

a few rapes and murders, ah a cost of trillions of dollars, nothing mayor really.

Yeah, mayors can do far worse things than wasting trillions of dollars and going on mass rape murder sprees.

 

[serpretetsky]

Actually, wouldn't the change in the Earth's velocity instantly crush a portion of people into the ground on the wrong side of the planet and fling people high into the atmosphere on the opposite corresponding side? Everyone would die from that alone.

There would not be any net force change on the earth as a whole, if that is what you are implying. Our earth circling the sun is basically the same as the earth constantly free falling and all of the people are freefalling with the earth as well. There is no real force being applied. Therefore, if the sun disappears, there is still no force.

However, the tidal difference in gravity from one side of the earth to the other would disappear. Would this cause any major earthquakes? I don't know. The earth is making one full rotation every 24 hours, so those tidal forces are rotating every 24 hours around the entire earth anyways, pushing and pulling at it from different angles. However, if that tidal force was instantly turned off it might give a little earthquake.