+415 While watching a sunset, it's weird thinking that the sun actually set 8 minutes ago, but the light just has a delay from reaching the Earth, amirite?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Now think about the stars in the sky :)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The concept of the sun set is visual only. The sun doesn't actually set. So, the sun set is when you can't see the sun anymore, not 8 minutes earlier.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

That's what I was gonna say! This 'eight minute delay' only applies to when you are seeing the light of the sun. But it sets as soon as the earth turns enough that you can't see it. Although, the light you DO see while it is setting is 8 minutes old... the sun didn't 'set' 8 minutes ago.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Right.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So if the sun explodes, we die before we see it(?)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No...the image of the explosion would reach Earth before anything else. Shortly after, the explosion would reach Earth, or the temperature would plummet, or rise.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

C'est correct. :)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So. If the sun could explode without us dying with it, it would explode 8 minutes before we are able to see it.

by Anonymous 13 years ago