What would happen to Earth if the sun suddenly vanished?

Key Points:

• The sun formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a collapsing cloud of gas and dust, with Earth and other rocky planets forming from the remaining material, relying heavily on the sun's gravity, heat, and light for survival.
• If the sun suddenly disappeared, Earth would experience a blackout after about 8 minutes, losing sunlight, which would halt photosynthesis, disrupt climate, and cause the moon to go dark, while planets would drift off into space due to the loss of the sun's gravitational pull.
• Temperatures on Earth would plummet rapidly, reaching subfreezing levels within days and potentially dropping close to the cosmic microwave background temperature over millions of years, making the planet inhospitable for most life forms.
• While most photosynthetic life would die, some organisms like fungi might survive temporarily on dead matter, and extremophiles such as tardigrades and chemosynthetic bacteria near ocean vents could endure the harsh conditions.
• Although the sudden disappearance of the sun is highly unlikely, understanding such scenarios helps scientists comprehend stellar evolution and the long-term fate of Earth, as the sun will eventually expand into a red giant in about 5 billion years, ultimately threatening the planet's habitability.