Is a "sun belt" realistic?

In a few science-fiction books I've read, the world that the story takes place on doesn't have a sun, but does have a "sun belt," where (instead of a regular sun) the world is lit by a stretch of sky that's always there, and turns darker at "night time," and lights up more strongly at "day time."

This would look something like a thick planetary ring, that luminesces all by itself, doing the job that the Sun does for our own planet, Earth.

Is any part of this lighting plan realistic?

• Can this be occur naturally?
• If it can't be done naturally, can it be done artificially?
• Either way, is the "darkening for night-time" effect possible?

posted over 9 years ago

Shokhet‭

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