# Move the Sun 3 Feet. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 4, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300 "2003-07-04T22:10:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/1 "2003-07-04T22:10:49Z")
I know this isn’t factual, so I could be moved. I wanted the “experts” in general questions to see it though. If it were possible, what would the results be of moving the sun only 3 feet? Would the galaxy eventually crumble? How long would it take? Would temperatures be affected? I realize most of this will be conjecture, but I appreciate any thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/2 "2003-07-04T22:23:43Z")
3 feet? Back, forward, left, right…diagonal? ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/3 "2003-07-04T22:24:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by moejuck \* > **If it were possible, what would the results be of moving the sun only 3 feet?** IANAAP (I am not an astro-physicist), but moving the sun three feet would have virtually zero effect on anything at all. Three feet is _nothing_ compared to the size of the sun. ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/4 "2003-07-04T22:29:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ParentalAdvisory \* > \*\*3 feet? Back, forward, left, right…diagonal? \*\* I would like an answer for each. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/5 "2003-07-04T22:30:25Z")
The distance from the Earth to the Sun fluctuates by about 3 million miles over the course of a year, with negligible effect. (This is not the cause of the seasons.) Another million miles or so won’t make much of a difference, but you want to know about three _feet_? ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/6 "2003-07-04T22:42:31Z")
I assume this change in distance is not a result of the sun moving. If that is the case, then my question needs no answer. However, if that change in distance is a result of the earth’s orbit, then moving the sun 3 feet could have an effect. Does the sun actually stay in one location, or does its position change? ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/7 "2003-07-04T22:43:44Z")
The _galaxy_? No. I don’t think you’d even affect the _solar system_ in any meaningful way. The Sun is already yanked around a bunch by the planets in it; Jupiter moves the Sun by [quite a bit](http://www.badastronomy.com/bitesize/dance.html). Plus the Sun loses tonnes of mass every second. I’m afraid I haven’t bothered to do any calculations, but I’m pretty sure that errors on that scale are fairly negligible^H^H^H^H^H small. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/8 "2003-07-04T22:47:17Z")
It sounds like you’re assuming the sun is a fixed object in space, whereas it’s actually hurtling through space at an enormous speed. Plus, space itself is constantly expanding, so you’re referring to some very complicated, minuscule vectors that amount to nothing. It’s like taking a subatomic particle somewhere in your spleen, and moving it a gazillionth of an angstrom unit, while it’s spinning around, while you’re moving, while the earth moves, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/9 "2003-07-04T23:04:19Z")
However, if the Sun _instantaneously_ move 3 feet to one side or the other, if it _teleported_ 3 feet, the gravitational field would be distrupted, for an exceedingly minute period of time. And the Sun’s gravity is quite powerful. Suppose it teleported 3 feet _away_ from us? The “speed of gravity” is finite–therefore, an infinitesatimal period of time would exist in which Earth was subjected to _no gravity_, and then would be slammed a split-second later with _full_ gravity! I suspect the effects would be catastrophic for life on Earth. Major Tidal waves & earthquakes to say the very least. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/10 "2003-07-04T23:08:50Z")
The sun is not a solid object but a blob which is in constant movement. My guess is that the Center of Mass of the Sun is moving around by quite a bit more than 3 feet. heck, the center of mass of the earth might move 3 feet with the tides etc. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/11 "2003-07-04T23:39:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*However, if the Sun _instantaneously_ move 3 feet to one side or the other, if it _teleported_ 3 feet, the gravitational field would be distrupted, for an exceedingly minute period of time. […A]n infinitesatimal period of time would exist in which Earth was subjected to _no gravity_, and then would be slammed a split-second later with _full_ gravity! > \*\* Your stellar teleportation device is clearly broken. Please return it for servicing and try again. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/12 "2003-07-05T00:21:04Z")
I assume all the planets’d end up in a slightly different orbit. I suppose it’s possible it’d disrupt something enough to cause problems (think chaos) but, then, it’s equally likely we’d be have the fan hit the shit anyway 😮 ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/13 "2003-07-05T02:26:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*However, if the Sun _instantaneously_ move 3 feet to one side or the other, if it _teleported_ 3 feet, the gravitational field would be distrupted, for an exceedingly minute period of time. And the Sun’s gravity is quite powerful. > > Suppose it teleported 3 feet _away_ from us? The “speed of gravity” is finite–therefore, an infinitesatimal period of time would exist in which Earth was subjected to _no gravity_, and then would be slammed a split-second later with _full_ gravity! > > I suspect the effects would be catastrophic for life on Earth. > > Major Tidal waves & earthquakes to say the very least. \*\* You think so? If the gravity left and came back so quickly I’d think it’d be just like the pulling-the-tableclotch-off-quickly trick. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/14 "2003-07-05T02:30:53Z")
Change “3 feet” to 3 million feet and you might have a shot at some braniac here kicking out some calculations. Three feet aint squat, man. In a related calculation, rounding to the nearest eleventy millionth decimal point may not get you an error of three feet. ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/15 "2003-07-05T02:37:52Z")
3 feet is why I ask the question. I know that 3 million or some other large number would have to have an impact. I wanted to know if such a small distance could cause any changes. I understand that it is improbable to really know the answer, I was just seeking some informed opinions. Thanks to everyone for their input. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/16 "2003-07-05T05:01:48Z")
Relative to what? ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/17 "2003-07-05T05:24:08Z")
It would certainly not disrupt any orbits in a major way. The orbits of the planets are not chaotic, so you won’t get a huge trajectory change from a small perturbation. It would affect the exact positions of the planets a billion years down the road, but it would not, say, send Saturn flying off into interstellar space. It’s not clear from your OP. Are you talking about an instantaneous shift, or is it okay if we move it at a reasonable speed? I don’t think we have any physics to describe what happens if it moves faster than c, but even if I’m mistaken about that, I don’t think those three nanoseconds of gravity depravation would cause any terrestrial cataclysms. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/18 "2003-07-05T14:58:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > \*\*It would certainly not disrupt any orbits in a major way. The orbits of the planets are not chaotic, so you won’t get a huge trajectory change from a small perturbation. It would affect the exact positions of the planets a billion years down the road, but it would not, say, send Saturn flying off into interstellar space. > > It’s not clear from your OP. Are you talking about an instantaneous shift, or is it okay if we move it at a reasonable speed? I don’t think we have any physics to describe what happens if it moves faster than c, but even if I’m mistaken about that, I don’t think those three nanoseconds of gravity depravation would cause any terrestrial cataclysms. \*\* Even if there were some major gravitational effects wouldn`t they “smooth out” as they traveled away from the sun? By the time any effect/s reached the Earth, we may not even notice it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/19 "2003-07-05T15:36:24Z")
> [@](#): > > However, if that change in distance is a result of the earth’s orbit, then moving the sun 3 feet could have an effect. If the Earth was suddenly three feet further away from the Sun, wouldn’t it eventually just settle back into its original position, i.e. move 3 feet closer? Perhaps I’m wrong - I know, for example, that the Moon moves away from the Earth a tiny bit (1/4 inch?) every year. Perhaps something similar could be occurring with the Earth and the Sun, since it would make zero difference in any practical sense. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-the-sun-3-feet/186300/20 "2003-07-05T17:54:51Z")
This might qualify as a gravity wave- you don’t get gravity waves of any detectable size from planets orbiting around a sun smoothly, but I imagine that a massive object moving instantaneously would make a ripple which would be detectable by [LIGO](http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/LIGO.html) or some other gravity wave detector. And as these gravity waves seem to be expected to travel a long way, the wave you make might be detected by an alien civilisation aaround a distant star. So yes, it might have far reaching consequences. * * * SF worldbuilding at [http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html](http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html)