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Distance compressed for illustration only. Earth could not survive this close to the Sun: extreme heating would destroy its atmosphere and oceans, melt its surface and eventually vaporize material. This demonstration shows light-ray geometry, not heating or destruction. Display brightness is adjusted for visibility; it does not show the enormous increase in solar energy.
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About this model · imagery & legend
March equinox · 23.4° axis tilt toward you NASA Blue Marble · July 2004 image Display spin: one turn / 24 s, independent of timeline. Lighting samples the extended Sun; twilight is illustrative. Cyan / amber equator dashes rotate with the surface · visible sunlit side only.