Temperature:
* Much colder: At 2 AU, Earth would receive only about 25% of the solar radiation it currently does. This means average global temperatures would plummet dramatically.
* Potential for ice ages: The average temperature could potentially drop below freezing, leading to widespread glaciation and permanent ice caps.
* Significant impact on climate: The decrease in solar radiation would disrupt weather patterns, leading to more extreme weather events and potentially significant changes in global climate zones.
Light:
* Dimmer: The Sun would appear about four times smaller and fainter in the sky. Daytime would be noticeably darker, similar to a cloudy day on Earth.
* Longer nights: The length of the year would remain the same, but the days would be slightly shorter and the nights longer due to Earth's slower orbital speed at a greater distance.
Other impacts:
* Effects on plant and animal life: The drastic change in temperature would make it extremely difficult for most plants and animals to survive, leading to mass extinctions.
* Potential for water to freeze: With colder temperatures, the oceans could begin to freeze over, making it difficult for marine life to survive.
* Changes in Earth's atmosphere: The colder temperatures could lead to significant changes in atmospheric composition, potentially affecting the ozone layer and our ability to breathe.
Overall:
Moving Earth 2 AU away from the Sun would create a much colder, darker, and inhospitable environment. While life might be able to adapt to these changes over millions of years, it is unlikely that human civilization would survive such a dramatic shift in our planet's position.
