this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2026
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[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev -1 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

The atmosphere does just "stop" either though. It also forms a gradient. There's not a magic barrier where the atmosphere is and isn't. It just gets gradually thinner and thinner. So in the same way there's a Goldilocks spot in the atmosphere where it's a comfortable temperature without being too cold, there must be another one near the sun.

Besides, heat radiation travels through a vacuum. If it didn't then the Earth wouldn't get heat from the sun at all.

[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 4 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

It travels through the vacuum, but it doesn't heat the vacuum, there's nothing there to heat. The "Goldilocks spot in the atmosphere" is on the ground, that's why we live here.

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 2 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

When you're close enough to the sun it heats you enough, because at some point you're so close you'll burn up, and at some point you'll freeze, so there must be a point between them that's comfortable. (And yes that might involve spinning so you don't cook on one side and freeze on the other.)

[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Never said it "heats the vacuum".

But the theory that the space (proper outerspace space) in-between Earth and the sun has an even temperature gradient assumes that it does.

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 points 3 hours ago

I literally never said it's even, only that if you plot it out it would be continuous instead of piecewise.

[–] BenderRodriguez@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago

I'm sorry, but there's so much wrong with what you said that I can't even begin to correct you.