Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» Something occurs on the sun that forces it out of its orbit. What's the worst case thing that could be happening thereafter?
Given that the planets are locked by the Sun's gravity, we'd go with it. The worst that could happen is if the Sun's new trajectory carried us too close to another star.
KABOOM? We'd explode on impact? I know that "way up there" has evolved over billions of years but it has pretty much stayed up there. Occasional bits and pieces have hit earth...I think they call it space debris. What would happen the revoluting started going in the opposite direction? What would happen then? Thank you for your reply R! :)
It would not be the direction of rotation I'd worry about, but the phase during which it changes!
The Sun cannot change its own orbit, certainly not while still "alive", around the centre of the Galaxy although far from that, near the ill-defined rim.
It is not a stellar partner of another star, forming a "binary star" couple in which both orbit in an elegant ellipse or circle around their common centre of mass; but even such a pair still orbits its home galaxy, as a couple.