A Dyson sphere is a hypothetical megastructure that encompasses a star and captures a large percentage of its power output. The concept is a thought experiment that attempts to imagine how a spacefaring civilization would meet its energy requirements once those requirements exceed what can be generated from the home planet’s resources alone. Because only a tiny fraction of a star’s energy emissions reaches the surface of any orbiting planet, building structures encircling a star would enable a civilization to harvest far more energy.

  • Tuxman@sh.itjust.works
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    24 days ago

    I don’t remember the math, but you lose return on investment after a certain percentage of coverage.

    Dyson Grids are the future!!! 😜

    • Fedegenerate@lemmynsfw.com
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      24 days ago

      The other “benefit” to the sphere is blacking out a star. Other life, should it exist, is less likely to find the structure.

    • I Cast Fist@programming.dev
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      24 days ago

      Or DYson Bubbles, which would also “cover” enough “surface” to be viable without needing god knows how many planets’ worth of material