Light = photon + wave?

Question

Light is known to behave as both 'particle' (photon) as well as 'wave'. When we see any light source say our SUN, we are actually seeing it because photons emitted by sun is reaching our eyes....right?

If this is the case, our retina(eyes) are just a few millimeters in radius and the SUN is millions of miles away.....so the photon is released by the sun in my direction(for that matter to every observer) continueously? doesn't this simply sound like unbelieveably huge number of photons to be released in all the directions?

Answer 1

Good point. Yes the Sun puts out a huge number of photons, along with a huge number and amount of other energies and waves, including gravity.

From astronomynotes.com
...the sun puts out every second the same amount of energy as 2,500,000,000 of the Earth's large power plants would put out every year!

;-D Don't stare at the Sun, even if you are very bright yourself!

Answer 2

Sun generates light as a result of thermonuclear reactions as is the case with all the stars. The amount or the density of photons falling on a surface depend on the distance from the Sun. The Sun is not the same when viewed from here on earth or on Pluto.
there is nothing unimaginable about the amount of photons emitted as it in line with a star of Sun's magnitude.

Answer 3

Yes and it is, the sun is emitting light and heat in all directions at a huge rate, incalculable really. Also though remember that you're on a planet, the atmosphere is bending and distorting light, so some that might not otherwise reach you is and vice versa. That is also why we can see, everything your eyes look at have solar photons bouncing off them, our planet is so saturated with them that on cloudly days, early in the morning or late at night there are still enough photons to make things visible.

Answer 4

If you have accepted the concept of infinity, this shoud be easy to digest.

One of the interesting things of the theory of relativity which is often overlooked is this. At the speed of light, mass and the entire universe condenses to a single point. From the perpective of light it then needs to exist only in one point and it would pervade the entire universe ;-) Not so unbelieveable when you look at it like that.

einstein used to be awed by the mysteries of the universe and one of his favorite past times was to stare out into the stars in the sky and admire this wonder. When one understands the vastness of the universe and the creation, it is indeed unbelievable.

Answer 5

Not really - when you consider that the retina only requires several photons to become active and that the sun is a massive fusion reactor convertign vast quentities of mass in energy in the form of light (E=mc2)

Answer 6

The current theory of light is idiotic. It would be impossible for your mind to detect something that is supposedly travelling at 300,000 kps especially when you consider that if you were to look at the earth from space that to see it all you would have light photons bouncing of millions of square kilometres and somehow entering your eye and all while travelling in the wrong direction. somehow your brain can unscramble a trillion trillion trillion light photons per second, thats stupidity beyond comprehension. Look at a laser beam the light is travelling in the wrong direction to enter your eyes: physics at its most stupid.
mmm must be one of those SFB physics twits that still believe the speed of light is constant, no brain no pain.

Answer 7

yes, a huge number indeed. Also, a lot of them are already reflected away from us by the atomsphere.

Answer 8

well i guess it would be so if u think about it 4 a while

Answer 9

What is your question, yo donkey ??