Why don’t we hear the Sun?

The Sun is an incredibly powerful and energetic celestial body. It generates energy through a process called nuclear fusion, where hydrogen atoms combine to form helium, releasing vast amounts of energy in the form of light and heat. The energy output of the Sun is truly immense. The sound of this must be catastrophic!

To put it in perspective, the Sun’s luminosity, which is the amount of energy it emits per unit of time, is about 3.8 × 10/26 watts. This means the Sun emits 3.8 ×10 / 26  joules of energy every second. To give you an idea of how much energy this is, in one second, the Sun emits more energy than humanity has used throughout our entire history!

This incredible energy output is what powers the Sun and sustains life on Earth by providing heat and light. It’s also the energy source that drives Earth’s climate, weather patterns, and the entire ecosystem. Space is a vacuum, meaning it is devoid of air or any other medium necessary for sound waves to travel. Without a medium, there can be no sound.

The Sun does not make any sound that humans can hear because sound requires a medium, such as air or water, to travel through. In the vacuum of space, there is no air or any other medium for sound waves to travel, so even if the Sun were producing sound waves, they wouldn’t be audible to us on Earth. If this were not so, life would be impossible on earth, because the sound would kill us.

However, the Sun does emit electromagnetic waves, including light and heat, which we can detect and measure using specialized instruments. Scientists study these electromagnetic waves to learn about the Sun’s composition, behaviour, and various processes occurring on its surface and in its atmosphere. How amazing that heat and light can travel through a vacuum?

By design, the Sun’s energy sustains life on Earth, enabling photosynthesis and utilizing carbon dioxide and water, in an incredibly complex process that could not have evolved. This produces carbohydrates and the growth of plants, which in turn nourish animals and humans. This interconnected cycle of photosynthesis and respiration can be seen as a spiritual reminder of the interdependence of all living things. Respiration is the reverse process of Photosynthesis, and so the whole thing becomes an incredibly wonderful cycle that maintains life on earth.