What if Sun goes dark? Experts examine deadly reality behind upcoming sci-fi film

Scientists have presented a real-world picture of an upcoming science fiction movie, Project Hail Mary’s, plot - dimming of the sun.

The film, set to release in March 2026, revolves around a lone scientist trying to uncover the secret behind the sun’s brightness decreasing by one percent in a year and five percent in two decades.

Experts say this scenario is only hypothetical as if it happens in reality, humanity would be wiped out.

A planetary scientist from California Institute of Technology, Professor David Stevenson, said that such a change would wipe out humans from Earth, adding, “Extinguishing life on Earth could take a long time as there are many creatures that live underground.”

Currently, Earth absorbs much of the energy from the Sun and reflects only 30 per cent back into space, thus keeping the planet warm.

Using scientific calculations, experts reveal that if the sun’s brightness drops, Earth will cool rapidly.

Only 0.22 per cent less energy from the sun, while it was going through a 70-year quiet period known as Maunder Minimum, resulted in the Little Ice Age on Earth. The temperatures in northern Europe dropped by 2°C between 1645 and 1715.

Though humans are facing the worsening impacts of global warming, global cooling would prove even catastrophic.

A recent report reveals that only a 1.8°C drop in global temperature would disrupt food chains by cutting the production of maize, wheat, soybeans, and rice by 11 percent that’ll result in a mass famine.

A total of 5.3 billion people could die in just two years if crop production fails due to low sunlight.