A type of RNA, they found, breaks into pieces within a dead cell done in by ultraviolet sunlight. Next, so-called receptor molecules in neighboring cells detects the damaged RNA and "tell" the body to inflame the healthy skin around the dead cell—and voilà: sunburn.

Can you be sunburned to death?

Sunburns won't kill you—not immediately, anyway. Sunburns only happen when your cells are seriously damaged by UV radiation, and with each damaging event, there's a small chance that it'll be the one that can lead to cancer.

Can dead bodies tan?

When the body dies, your cells don't immediately stop your metabolism winds down over a short time. Tannig involves production of melanin in cells in the skin, and so would probably continue for a little while after death.