How close are we talking about here? Like Venus close? Or closer? Venus is very near to the sun, yet it hasn't exploded into fragments. I'm kinda confused here, wouldn't the rock on earth just become really hot, or melt? Unless I'm missing something here, isn't earth too big to break apart? Seems like it would take too long to fragment, because by the time it would lose its structure, earth would have already been swallowed by the sun.
I am but a mere mortal, teach me the ways of space if I do not understand. XD