How Long Does it Take for Light From the Sun to Travel All the Way to Earth?

The sun lights the earth from a distance of 93 million miles.

The Sun is the star at the center of our solar system, which lights and heats the planet Earth. It takes varying amounts of time for light from the Sun to reach a planet depending on how far away it is.

Distance and Time

The distance from the Earth to the Sun is 93 million miles (150 million km) on average. At that distance, it takes the sun's light 499 seconds to reach the Earth, or 8 minutes, 19 seconds, according to the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Perihelion and Aphelion

The Earth's orbit around the Sun is not a perfect circle but an ellipse, so its distance from the Sun varies. The Earth is closest to the Sun (perihelion) when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere and farthest away in summer (aphelion). At its closest, 91 million miles (147 million km), light takes 490 seconds to reach Earth, or 8 minutes, 10 seconds; at its most distant, Earth is 95 million miles (152 million km) away from the Sun and light takes 507 to reach us, or 8 minutes, 27 seconds.

Considerations

The Sun's light doesn't stop at Earth. Nothing can stop the Sun's light from extending outward in space forever. Since the Sun is 4.5 billion years old, its light has traveled at least 4.5 billion light-years away by now.

References

• Cornell University: Curious About Astronomy? Ask an Astrologer
• University of California: Solar Facts
• University of Utrecht: Astronomy Answers
• Windows to the Universe