<p>A Dyson sphere or swarm's function is to harvests most of a star's energy, correct?</p>
<p>However, a future Dyson sphere around <em>our Sun</em> would also block the Sun's rays from reaching Earth. Wouldn't it freeze the people on Earth to death and ruin the bio-sphere?</p>
<p>Or is there some way around that?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T02:38:37.853Z
This probably is better for [WorldBuilding](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com).
WarpPrime
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T02:38:55.590Z
There are [numerous Dyson sphere questions](https://stackexchange.com/search?q=Dyson+sphere).
Keith McClary
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T02:44:48.560Z
I have mixed thoughts on this - a lot of the Dyson sphere questions we've had previously have been about observations which might include Dyson spheres, and they do play a role in SETI. On the other hand, they're artificial constructs, rather than natural astronomical objects, so I could see this either way. Given that it's not about world building, though, I'm not inclined to migrate it there.
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T04:10:34.967Z
@HDE226868 It seems to me that the OP want's to know if people on our Earth won't freeze themselves after they build a Dyson sphere around our Sun, not about spotting existing Dyson spheres . So the OP's question is probably not about Astronomy. I think Space SE (which does have questions about future engineering projects in space) might be a good home, and I'm sure there will end up being sources that can be cited in answers to this, possibly even from [Sir Dyson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_Dyson).
uhoh
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2021-05-11T04:12:00.893Z
Maybe a moderator will find this and decide
CiurkitboyN
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T08:43:33.997Z
Why there are so recurrent questions on Dyson spheres in SE? They should really appear on World Building only, except if used as ideal situation for physical calculation.
Alchimista
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T08:58:56.980Z
A Dyson sphere with a window along the ecliptic would probably do the trick
Aaron F
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T10:55:09.117Z
No one said the Dyson sphere has to be inside Earth's orbit.  Also note before sending it [worldbuilding.se] that there are multiple Q&As on Dyson spheres and **Dyson swarms** (spheres are not stable and swarms are more rational) there.  In addition if they can build something as insanely vast as a Dyson sphere or swarm, the least of Earth's problems would be energy as they'd now have access to the entire solar output not just a minute fraction of it.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
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2021-05-11T15:16:59.647Z
@StephenG what do you mean by "inside earth's orbit"
CiurkitboyN
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T15:33:15.417Z
Your question asks about blocking the Sun from Earth.  That could only happen if it orbits inside the Earth's orbit - i.e. closer to the Sun than Earth.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T15:36:49.283Z
@StephenG Oh now I understand what you mean, but if the sphere were outside earth's orbit would it not get hit by asteroids and other stuff?
CiurkitboyN
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T15:52:49.527Z
Why would it not get hit by asteroids or comets inside Earth's orbit ?  They don't keep to lanes. :-)  Also the amount of material required to *build* a Dyson sphere is *staggeringly* large.  It's unlikely there would be any asteroids around.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-11T17:13:22.917Z
@CiurkitboyN  If the future civilization is advanced enough to build a Dyson shellor Dyson Sphere, it will provide many millions of times as much living space as Earth does, so they might think it would be a good idea to disassemble Earth for building materials.  Anyway, a civilization that could built a Dyson sphere or a Dyson Shell would have no trouble building a giant satellite that orbited the Earth and shined enough light on it to keep Earth habitable.  A Dyson shell or sphere would be many millions of times harder to construct than an artificial sun satellitetoilluminate Earth.
M. A. Golding
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-12T20:15:33.230Z
It takes a *lot* of matter to build a Dyson shell, and Earth has over half of the terrestrial matter in the inner Solar System (i.e., all the stuff outside the Sun, upto & including the main asteroid belt). If you ground up all that stuff (~11.888E24 kg) & built a shell at 57.9E6 km (Mercury's mean orbital radius) with the density of granite (~2750 kg/m³), it'd be around 10 cm thick. Here's the relevant Google Calculator string: `(11.888E24 kg)/(4*pi*(57.9E6 km)^2*(2750 kg/m^3))` if you want to play with the numbers.
PM 2Ring
<the-sun><earth><artificial-satellite><seti>
Would a future Dyson sphere or swarm around our Sun actually be beneficial to people on Earth?
CiurkitboyN
# Would a future Dyson sphere or swarm around our Sun actually be beneficial to people on Earth?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-05-11)

A Dyson sphere or swarm's function is to harvests most of a star's energy, correct?

However, a future Dyson sphere around *our Sun* would also block the Sun's rays from reaching Earth. Wouldn't it freeze the people on Earth to death and ruin the bio-sphere?

Or is there some way around that?

**Tags:** the-sun, earth, artificial-satellite, seti

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This probably is better for [WorldBuilding](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com).  
> **username_2**: There are [numerous Dyson sphere questions](https://stackexchange.com/search?q=Dyson+sphere).  
> **username_3**: I have mixed thoughts on this - a lot of the Dyson sphere questions we've had previously have been about observations which might include Dyson spheres, and they do play a role in SETI. On the other hand, they're artificial constructs, rather than natural astronomical objects, so I could see this either way. Given that it's not about world building, though, I'm not inclined to migrate it there.  
> **username_4**: @HDE226868 It seems to me that the OP want's to know if people on our Earth won't freeze themselves after they build a Dyson sphere around our Sun, not about spotting existing Dyson spheres . So the OP's question is probably not about Astronomy. I think Space SE (which does have questions about future engineering projects in space) might be a good home, and I'm sure there will end up being sources that can be cited in answers to this, possibly even from [Sir Dyson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_Dyson).  
> **username_0**: Maybe a moderator will find this and decide  
> **username_5**: Why there are so recurrent questions on Dyson spheres in SE? They should really appear on World Building only, except if used as ideal situation for physical calculation.  
> **username_6**: A Dyson sphere with a window along the ecliptic would probably do the trick  
> **username_7**: No one said the Dyson sphere has to be inside Earth's orbit.  Also note before sending it [worldbuilding.se] that there are multiple Q&As on Dyson spheres and **Dyson swarms** (spheres are not stable and swarms are more rational) there.  In addition if they can build something as insanely vast as a Dyson sphere or swarm, the least of Earth's problems would be energy as they'd now have access to the entire solar output not just a minute fraction of it.  
> **username_0**: @StephenG what do you mean by "inside earth's orbit"  
> **username_7**: Your question asks about blocking the Sun from Earth.  That could only happen if it orbits inside the Earth's orbit - i.e. closer to the Sun than Earth.  
> **username_0**: @StephenG Oh now I understand what you mean, but if the sphere were outside earth's orbit would it not get hit by asteroids and other stuff?  
> **username_7**: Why would it not get hit by asteroids or comets inside Earth's orbit ?  They don't keep to lanes. :-)  Also the amount of material required to *build* a Dyson sphere is *staggeringly* large.  It's unlikely there would be any asteroids around.  
> **username_8**: @username_0  If the future civilization is advanced enough to build a Dyson shellor Dyson Sphere, it will provide many millions of times as much living space as Earth does, so they might think it would be a good idea to disassemble Earth for building materials.  Anyway, a civilization that could built a Dyson sphere or a Dyson Shell would have no trouble building a giant satellite that orbited the Earth and shined enough light on it to keep Earth habitable.  A Dyson shell or sphere would be many millions of times harder to construct than an artificial sun satellitetoilluminate Earth.  
> **username_9**: It takes a *lot* of matter to build a Dyson shell, and Earth has over half of the terrestrial matter in the inner Solar System (i.e., all the stuff outside the Sun, upto & including the main asteroid belt). If you ground up all that stuff (~11.888E24 kg) & built a shell at 57.9E6 km (Mercury's mean orbital radius) with the density of granite (~2750 kg/m³), it'd be around 10 cm thick. Here's the relevant Google Calculator string: `(11.888E24 kg)/(4*pi*(57.9E6 km)^2*(2750 kg/m^3))` if you want to play with the numbers.  

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