purpose of the sun

[hullobservertory]

What is the purpose of our sun

[Davey-T]

Keeps us all alive 

Dave

[slim80]

+1 on that dave

[Cornelius Varley]

Without the sun we would not exist. Also, the planets would not have been created.

[brantuk]

It keeps us warm and provides the precise conditions to make an environment in space in which we can live. The Earth and the moon also contribute to that. Without at least all three mankind wouldn't exist at all.

[Colinlp]

The purpose of the Sun would be to fuse hydrogen into helium etc heat and light are just a useful by product of that process. Either that or it's something to read

[laudropb]

I don't think the Sun has a purpose. It is not there for a reason. It is just an ordinary star in an ordinary Galaxy

[ronl]

I don't think the Sun has a purpose. It is not there for a reason. It is just an ordinary star in an ordinary Galaxy

I think that sums it up perfectly.

[Chris]

What is the purpose of our sun

Don't let the Sun hear you say that

[davedownsouth]

Yes, it is just another Star, but obviously it is fairly important to most people on Earth

[Stu]

Yes, it is just another Star, but obviously it is fairly important to most people on Earth

Agreed, but that's not WHY it is there

[luna]

Purpose of our Sun is to keep all the planets in orbit. Luckily for us we reside in the 'goldielocks zone'

[jabeoo1]

Currently the sun is obliviously playing an important role for us in the Stelliferous era.  After this, apparently the sun along with all the other stars will cease to fuse anything more.  This will then become what scientists have labelled the 'degenerate' era where only remnants, white dwarfs, neutron stars & black holes remain.  The black hole era follows, where the black holes dominate the scene & proton decay has eroded away all the stellar remnants.  Finally black holes will erode away leaving a thin spread of photons and leptons.  

 

Its a sad story really but hey we got to glimpse at a time where it was in its prime for us. 

[jabeoo1]

To sell ice creams & be a nocturnal animals moon. 

[DRT]

It has no purpose, just a reason why it exists and an affect on what surrounds it.

[Chris]

I guess you could say the purpose is to fuse hydrogen into helium, but that's just how stars work, nuclear fusion creating a balance between pressure and gravity with the bi product of lots of heat and light.

Proton-proton chain ennit !

[ollypenrice]

This is totally anthropomorphic question and is unanswerable because it ascribes purpose to something which is purposeless.

'Purpose' is something unique to intelligent beings. We have a purpose when we perform an action in order to derive a consequence from that action. The trouble is that we then see all sorts of consequnces around us and assume that these consequences also derive from purpose or intention. They don't. It is a consequnce of the sun's mass that the planets move in orbit but the sun had neither intention nor purpose in the matter.

Nature has no purposes, it has only consequences. This is the message of Darwinism. Random mutation modifies a living thing. No purpose there. The mutant thrives or expires in its environment. No purpose there. It lives to reproduce it's mutation or it does not. No purpose there.

Nature is stuffed with consequences but it is a classic mistake to confuse these with intentions or purposes.

Olly

[Luke]

The same as the other stars.

[davedownsouth]

Agreed, but that's not WHY it is there

Well, obviously it's there to give me a sun tan in Summer 

[Stu]

Well, obviously it's there to give me a sun tan in Summer

Ah yes, now we are getting to the important stuff

[Earl]

The sun has no purpose

it does show that a enough Hydrogen atoms due to gravitational attration all come together in sufficent density to ignite into a star.

We however cant live without it, but that is a side effect of the original conditions coming to be.

The orginal happy accident maybe?

[wheresthetorch?]

It's harsh to start a topic like this on a forum that bans religion! Many cultures would have a different answer to those posted above.

[DRT]

It's harsh to start a topic like this on a forum that bans religion! Many cultures would have a different answer to those posted above.

I thought about that before posting my comment above.

I have no religion, but do think that many who do might believe that the Sun has the purpose of providing the enduring source of energy and relative environmental stability required to allow human life to exist. If that is a belief that some hold I would in no way criticize them for doing so.

But that doesn't change my view that it has no purpose and is simply a product of the laws of physics.

I sincerely hope that this post does not break the rules, but if it does I will understand why I can't find it when I return to this thread

[Earl]

well is not all vanity and a striving after the wind.... cough cough i read that as purposeless 

[Stu]

I thought about that before posting my comment above.

I have no religion, but do think that many who do might believe that the Sun has the purpose of providing the enduring source of energy and relative environmental stability required to allow human life to exist. If that is a belief that some hold I would in no way criticize them for doing so.

But that doesn't change my view that it has no purpose and is simply a product of the laws of physics.

I sincerely hope that this post does not break the rules, but if it does I will understand why I can't find it when I return to this thread

I think we are ok for the moment Derek, but just as a gentle reminder to all, please don't venture any further into discussions on religion.

Let's keep the thread to factual/physics based comments or it will be locked.

Many thanks,

Stu