Table of Contents
Can you die from the sun?
Too much sun exposure allows UV rays to reach your inner skin layers. You know this as sunburn. This can cause skin cells to die, damage, or develop cancer.
How close can you get to the sun before it kills you?
If a spacecraft were to be wrapped up in that kind of shielding, it would get to within 1.3 million miles of the sun. The integrity of the shielding would be compromised well before that, so, theoretically, you could make it to that distance before become fried to death.
Why does the sun kill you?
If too much ultraviolet light hits our skin, over time it can hurt our skin cells. The cells can die, and our bodies react. The skin gets red, and it can hurt a lot. Ultraviolet light comes from the Sun, but it can also bounce off of other surfaces like water, snow, and concrete.
Is there a disease where the sun kills you?
The life expectancy of those with the condition is about 30 years less than normal. The disease affects about 1 in 100,000 worldwide….
| Xeroderma pigmentosum | |
|---|---|
| Symptoms | Severe sunburn after only a few seconds in the sun, freckling in sun-exposed areas, dry skin, changes in skin pigmentation |
Has anyone ever died from sunburn?
Sunburn is possible at any time of year but is more common in the summer months when the sun’s rays are the strongest. Improper tanning bed use is also a source of sunburn. Although seldom fatal, severe sunburn or sun poisoning can be disabling and cause quite a bit of discomfort.
Will the sun kill you in space?
Unlike the Earth, the vacuum of space doesn’t have an atmosphere to protect you from harmful solar rays, so even short term exposure could cause cancer. But as long as you remain about 93 million miles (150 million km) from Sun-like stars, you’ll be fine (relatively speaking, of course).
Is XP real?
People who have an extreme sensitivity to sunlight are born with a rare disease known as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). They must take extreme measures to protect their skin from ultraviolet (UV) light. Anything that emits UV light, including the sun and some lightbulbs, can damage their skin.