Quantum total eclipse of the sun?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a hypothetical scenario regarding the conditions necessary for a total solar eclipse, specifically involving a quark orbiting in place of the moon and the assumption of instantaneous light travel. The scope includes conceptual exploration and theoretical implications of such a scenario.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes a hypothetical scenario where the sun is at a certain distance from Earth, assuming light is instantaneous, to explore the implications for a total solar eclipse involving a quark.
  • Another participant argues that the question is unanswerable due to the violation of physical laws, specifically the nature of light and its finite speed.
  • A third participant points out that the question remains unanswerable because quarks cannot exist in isolation and lack a well-defined size.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the original question is unanswerable due to the assumptions made, but there is a lack of consensus on the implications of the hypothetical scenario itself.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations related to the assumptions of instantaneous light travel and the nature of quarks, which are not typically isolated entities.

mahonskey
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TL;DR
Hypothetical: If light were instantaneous, how far from earth would the sun have to be to cause a quark orbiting in place of the moon to result in a total solar eclipse?
This might be total nonsense, but the thought popped into my head while I was trying to get to sleep, so I thought I see if I could find any advanced help with the following hypothetical:

If light were instantaneous, how far from Earth would the sun have to be to cause a quark orbiting in place of the moon to result in a total solar eclipse?
 
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mahonskey said:
If light were instantaneous

It isn't, so your question is unanswerable. There's no point in asking what the laws of physics say about a scenario that violates the laws of physics.
 
mahonskey said:
how far from Earth would the sun have to be to cause a quark orbiting in place of the moon to result in a total solar eclipse?

This question is unanswerable because, first, quarks can't exist in isolation, and second, quarks don't have a well-defined size.
 
Since the OP questions are unanswerable, this thread is closed.
 

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