XKCD: What if ALL the sun’s power was focused in one place?


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It feels self-evident that it would be Very Bad. Even just all of the solar energy that hits the Earth (a fraction of what the sun puts out) would be Very Bad, if it was concentrated into one spot.
 

The dire fate of the earth seems pretty obvious here. I'm more interested in what would happen to the sun in that scenario. If all of its radiating energy was focus down to a narrow beam pointing in one direction, wouldn't that push it in the opposite direction?
 


"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force."
 

It feels self-evident that it would be Very Bad. Even just all of the solar energy that hits the Earth (a fraction of what the sun puts out) would be Very Bad, if it was concentrated into one spot.
Focusing all of the light from the Sun over a 5 inch diameter into a single spot can start a fire. I imagine focusing all the light from a 12,000Km+ diameter would be... something worse.
 

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