The brightness of the Sun that wakes us up every morning is bright enough to dazzle anyone’s eyes. Staring at the massive star is not recommended that we orbit, because it can hurt our eyesight.
Under this logic, some may think that the astronauts who are on the NASA International Space Station (ISS) have it much more difficult than those of us on solid Earth.
But it is not like that. Photos taken from the ISS show a massive star like a ball, certainly very bright, but not as bright as logic tells us. The Sun is a show-off and only shows his brilliance when he has a suitable audience. The space just doesn’t live up to its stunning presence.
The truth behind this stellar phenomenon lies in the scattering of light. Here on Earth, our beloved Sun goes to the trouble of lighting up our blue sky thanks to the scattering caused by particles such as dust, air, and water vapor. But once we leave Earth’s cozy atmosphere and venture out into the vast emptiness of space, the Sun grows shy and decides to keep its brilliance to itself.
The Sun is jealous of its glow and doesn’t want to share it with dark outer space. With no particles to scatter its light and no air to diffuse it, our star refuses to shine in vain. It is as if he refused to perform on a stage without a proper audience.
Of course, this does not mean that the space is completely devoid of light. Actually, there are a lot of stars and galaxies that light up the universe. But our own Sun is a diva and only shows her dazzling brilliance when she gets the chance to impress an Earth audience.
The next time you’re looking at images from outer space and wondering why the Sun seems to be hidden in shadow, remember that our beloved king star is reserving its shine for us, the lucky inhabitants of this planet. After all, it’s not easy to compete with the greatness of the Sun.
