To begin with, the word “belt” implies a ring. Of photons? How were they supposed to stay in a belt? I realize light can be bent by gravity but wouldn’t it take a hellofa chunk of gravity to trap photons in an orbit.
Dennis
I like the idea that entering a “photon belt” is going to give us three days of darkness.
If you’re going to invent astronomical phenomenon out of whole cloth, you can give it any properties you want.
Exactly. Light stays in the belt due to the power of narrativium.
I tried using a photon belt to hold up my pants but it was too light.
The Hubble took pictures of it, look up and slightly to the left.
Not like Orion’s Belt, which is a complete waist of space. Not, impressed, I’d give it 3 stars.
If the photons are coming from our sun, then to form a belt (ring), they’d have to move into an area with a refractive index much higher than the vacuum of space. Glass is a good candidate, having an index of 1.52.
So it seems that we’re hurtling toward a crystal sphere.
In order for a “photon belt” to exist, indeed, you need a compact object such as a black hole. It is true that if the Earth were to fall into a black hole it would cause some disruption to the ecosystem.
Golf clap 2x.
At least 2x.
That one gets an ouch.