In the show, it is established that the sun and moon can only be moved, relative to the point on the planet's surface, by a group of unicorns or an alicorn. Celestia raises the sun by casting a spell, and the sun won't move until she casts it.

In season 4 episode 2 we can see Celestia casting this spell and the sun moving either immediately or 5 seconds later, depending on how far it was beneath the horizon. Normally, it takes light 8 minutes to reach us, which means we need 8 minutes to observe any changes. Basically, it means that light requires around 96 times less time to reach Equestria. Now we can compare our sun and equestrian sun.

Our sun is approximately 150 000 000 km from us, eq-sun is only 5 s * 300 000 km/s = 1 500 000 km away. Eq-sun is, as seen from the surface, the same size as our sun which means that if it is 96 times closer then it is 96 times smaller. For nuclear fusion to occur in the star's core it must at least have 0.05 of our sun's mass. However, eq-sun only has 0.01 solar mass. This means that equestrian sun isn't a star at all, which may explain how it can be moved so easily.

What do you guys think?

5429312 Dont know if its adding anything to the subject at hand but this story of mine here
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/314130/star-wars-the-long-war-and-friendship
Has a part where I had to comprehend the functionality of their solar system from an outside view.

The old robed man reached out and grasped his old battered mask fitting it into place under his hood before bringing up the mapping software. "Here!... that looks like its liveable... lets crash there...."

"Mast-t-t-t-t-t-t-" He swatted the console in frustration. "-ter! There is no telling if that world is safe... odd solar activity suggests that there is a black hole in the system, whatever miracle of s-s-s-s-s-s" He beat the console with a hefty wooden stick he picked up on the last life bearing planet he visited and it sputtered before continuing "-Science is keeping that world from being effected by whatever massive force of gravity is yanking its sun around may not spare the world for lon-on-on-on-" He raised the stick again but before he could vent more frustration the computer sputtered out the last of its sentence. "-ong! It is unwise to simply trust that everything will be fine."

5429312 Well, one thing that I believe is obviously different from theirs and ours is that the sun and moon are equals in the sky. One emits light while the other emits darkness. It's probably better to say the sun emits daylight while the moon emits moonlight. This can be seen in Princess Twilight Pt 1 & 2. This means that the moon does not reflect light from the sun.

The sun is as big as the moon. What you said about the size I completely agree with. The two orbs in the sky are at the same distance from Equestria. I mean, look how fast Nightmare Moon got thrown into the moon. I believe that the moon is also much smaller than our moon.

The sun and moon are NOT heavenly structures but instead magical relics. Since the science of moving such monstrous orbs through the sky as if they were a yo-yo would be catastrophic for Equestria, I am inclined to believe they do not do all their functions like ours do. The moon does not have a gravitational pull on tides. The sun does not emit all its types of light, especially the harmful ones (though we have seen it can give ponies sunburn). These things are almost unnatural. Everything is the opposite. Earth has seasonal change due to our positioning with the sun, it's the exact opposite with them. The seasons are controlled by the pegasi and the unicorns moving the sun a hair farther away from the planet. Unless Celestia can make the sun cooler....but then by the summer she has to....

The SUN is WARMING UP?!?!

-Megamind

So the planet of Equus HAS to be the center of the galaxy or whatever for all this too work. Everything rotates around it. Arrogant ponies think the world revolves around them...

But back to something I said. I don't believe the sun and moon are completely natural structures. Equus requires the sun to possess everything that our sun has, but with how incredibly close it is, could it even have all that? I'm gonna say no and put in the best explanation for everything: MAGIC!

So the sun and moon are far more complicated than one being a gray, lumpy rock and the other being a burning inferno of gas and flares. The sun is the ultimate example of nature's magic. It can be controlled by the alicorns and unicorns, but what happens when it's on its own? Twilight realized that she HAD to raise the sun, otherwise it wouldn't do it one its own. It DOESN'T rotate. It has to be controlled as strictly as the pegasi control the weather, though that MAY actually work on its own if left to its own vices, like the Everfree. So what does this mean? That if unicorns and alicorns didn't exist the whole world would die. So my conclusion is two possibilities: The sun we see ISN'T real or that it is the creation of ponies.

Ponies that created the sun and moon? Wut?!?! Now hear me out. Ponies are terrified by what they can't control. Look at the Everfree. Why do they fear it? Not really because it's a scary jungle, but because it operates and functions without their interference. I can't remember what episode it was, but I believe Rainbow really does show this when they are telling Twilight about the mysterious forest. That's with a small forest, now imagine it being about the freakin' sun and moon.

So what does this imply? Well, I say it implies that the unicorns or alicorns created the sun and moon to be instruments of controlling nature. But that inherently implies that there was no sun and moon before them, right? Perhaps. Piccolo blew up the moon quite easily in DBZ, I'm certain a white alicorn or a certain Spirit of Chaos could do the same. After blowing up the natural sun and moon, the ponies put up the new magical orbs and had them be able to only be controlled by THEM. This automatically puts them as the leading power in the world. No one attacks Equestria for fear of losing day and night and all ability to survive. It's brilliant actually.

The second alternative is more simple. The sun and moon are fakes and the real ones are at their usual positions like ours. We just see Celestia's sun and Luna's moon for the same reasons as the first possibility. Power. Power. Oh my gosh, power. These heavenly structures are just illusions to gain control of the world without conflict. Think of Gwyndolin in Dark Souls. He/she made the illusion that the sun was still up even though Gwyn, the Lord of Light, had been long gone. Once he/she was dealt with, only a silver moon could be seen in the sky.

Another possibility (one that makes the ponies seem less like megalomaniacal control freaks) is that the world itself is artificial; a creation of some higher intelligence as an experiment in giving sentient beings full control of their ecosystem. Places like Everfree sprang up as a result of natural elements being included in the construct (perhaps as a control value, perhaps by accident).

Thoughts?

5429337
I like to think that there is a gigantic magical shield bubble around their planet. It absorbs or reflects all EM waves coming from outside and is able to emit EM waves on the inside if needed, like a giant screen.

First alicorns were created by the same cosmic entity that created the shield bubble, and they are supposed to help all life on the planet grow and manage and recharge the shield bubble.

5429343
Well, "we're in a simulation" argument works for everything including us because it's hard to disprove, so there is a solid chance that you're right.

5429312 I think it'd ridiculous that they call them Moons instead of days.

5429373 Actually, we don't know what a moon is in their language. It's very inconsistent. They use like like one would use "decades" or "years." It's most likely to mean a "month" but it still is very strange even with that meaning.

5429379 It'd be hard to know when a month had been, if the moon's always full, and there is no lunar cycle like there is here on earth. In fact, it'd be quite unnatural.

By the way, if the moon is always full then why is Luna's cutiemark a crescent? Do ponies even know what a crescent is?

5429395 Maybe Luna's cutie mark is actually an eclipse that started to happen?

5429397
Filly Luna found out that she can control the moon by blocking out the sun? Sounds evil in the context of the show.

5429395 Perhaps, in addition to its rising and setting, Luna can also control the moon's appearance, simulating the lunar cycles we're familiar with. Once a month, she simply doesn't raise it at all (new moon).

Just a theory

5429455 Well, that probably started one day/night when she was too lazy to do so.

Hey, Celestia has to come up with explanations, right?

5429631 LOL

5429312

"Our sun is approximately 150 000 000 km from us, eq-sun is only 5 s * 300 000 km/s = 1 500 000 km away. Eq-sun is, as se-"

. . . !
I signed up for logic thinking head stuff/limited personal perception clashing. Da fuq is this math bullshit?

5429337
So, tl;dr, 1: The pony laws of the universe don't care about our laws of the universe, and/or 2: The sun and moon are giant conspiracies headed by the man alicorns.
[-]
Upon actually reading through the post, I realize you already said the above.

The sun we see ISN'T real or that it is the creation of ponies.

Whoops.

But yeah it doesn't look like anyone in the thread has been/can dispute that.

So... is there a "resolved" thread status to employ or something?

5433749 Well, we kinda do actually.

The resolved thread isn't "locked" but it most likely will not have another debate start up. Like a dead thread, ya know? I just don't lock it unless it breaks a rule or has devolved into something vile.

When we come to a mutual conclusion, we shall say that LOGIC HAS PREVAILED TONIGHT!!!

5429312

In season 4 episode 2 we can see Celestia casting this spell and the sun moving either immediately or 5 seconds later, depending on how far it was beneath the horizon.

You assume because we see the light from the sun immediately (or almost immediately), that the sun has moved immediately.

Isn't it possible that the sun is taking longer to move, but that the spell Celestia uses also bends the light of the sun, causing it to appear to move immediately?

5439362
I think it may be possible. There are two ways to do this(imho):

1. Celestia bends space between their sun and the planet, redirecting light to fall at a different angle.

2. She uses some kind of medium, through which the light passes, as a prism, bending the light in a more conventional way.

My problem with this theory is that both of these methods are too complex for a spell that Celestia casts effortlessly.

5439793
She's been doing it for over a thousand years — of course it's effortless.