Do we have direct evidence of nuclear fusion in the Sun?

Four experiments detect solar neutrinos, providing direct evidence that nuclear fusion occurs in the sun. Each experiment detects fewer neutrinos than predicted by the standard solar model.

How do we know what is happening inside the Sun?

The reflection of the sound waves off the inside of the photosphere causes the surface to pulsate very slightly, and the rising and falling of the photosphere can be measured to give information on the density and motions of the material within the Sun. Many telescopes on the Earth study the Sun in white light.

What causes nuclear fusion in the Sun?

The Sun’s gravitational force confines the positively-charged hydrogen nuclei and work with the high temperatures that cause the nuclei to move around furiously, collide at high speeds overcoming the natural electrostatic repulsion that exists between the positive charges and fuse to form the heavier helium.

What if fusion stopped in the Sun?

As the Sun enters its Red Giant phase, the outer layers will slowly lose their gravitational attraction to the core. This will cause two important processes to occur. Without nuclear fusion in the Sun’s core, the Sun essentially becomes useless to us. We will no longer have a source of energy to power our planet.

Why did the sun stop shining?

Nuclear fusion happens when lighter elements, like hydrogen, are combined into heavier elements, like helium. In about 5 billion years, the hydrogen in the Sun’s core will run out and the sun will not have enough fuel for nuclear fusion. So, in about 5 billion years, the Sun will stop shining.

How does the Sun fuse hydrogen?

What would happen if nuclear fusion in the Sun stopped?

So, the Sun will be left as a small (Earth-sized) ball of inert gas called a White Dwarf: it will essentially be dead. Without nuclear fusion in the Sun’s core, the Sun essentially becomes useless to us. We will no longer have a source of energy to power our planet.