I know that it is around 8 minutes, but I would need a more precise answer.
2007-02-20 19:17:46 · 14 answers · asked by ScarabX 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The answer will depend upon what value you use for the distance between the earth and the sun. Remember that this distance is not constant: In the winter (on the winter solstice) the earth is closest to the sun and in the summer (the summer solstice) the earth is the farthest away from the sun (the exact names of these two points in time and space isnt really relavent here). You'll have to look up the distances at each of these times if you need the answer for one of them. (If you think I have the close and farthest distances mixed up because of the temperature of the winter and the temperature of the summer, you are mistaken. The temperatures during these seasons are independent of the distance of the sun if you associate closer being hotter, and farther away being colder. The temperatures during these seasons have to do with the angle that light from the sun strikes the earth's surface during these seasons. Ask about this in a separate question.)
Using the average distance the earth is from the sun, which is 150 million km (150,000,000 km) and the speed of light which is 299,792,458 m/s you arrive at an answer of 8.339 minutes or 8 min 20.34 seconds.
Specifically:
150,000,000 km x (1000m/ 1km) = 150,000,000,000 m.
Then, 150,000,000,000 x (1s/299,792,458m) = 500.3461 seconds.
Remembering that there are 60 seconds in every one (1) minute:
500.3461 seconds x (1min/60 s) = 8.339 min
converting the decimal 0.339 min into seconds:
0.339 min (60s/1min) = 20.34 seconds.
2007-02-20 19:45:45 · answer #1 · answered by Cian 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Precisely, it takes 8.6 minutes for sunlight to reach earth which means 8 minutes and 36 seconds.....
2007-02-20 19:22:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't get a precise answer, because the orbit of the Earth around the sun is elliptical. It varies from moment to moment, and it depends on which point of the Earth you're talking about and the angle it enters the atmosphere.
2007-02-20 19:19:38 · answer #3 · answered by Mickey Mouse Spears 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The sun's light takes about 8 minutes to reach the Earth after it has been emitted from the sun's surface. The time it takes for light to reach planets in our Solar System (not the Milky Way, which is our galaxy) varies from about 3 minutes for Mercury, to about 5.3 hours for Pluto. There is nothing out in space to prevent the sun's light from going infinitely far, in principle. In practice, the sun is only 4.5 billion years old, so its light can only extend 4.5 billion light years away from us right now. But there's nothing to stop that light from expanding outwards forever, as time goes on. The sun's radius is about 100 times that of the Earth, meaning that about 1.12 million Earths could fit inside it, as could about 930 Jupiters.
2007-02-20 19:24:03 · answer #4 · answered by fergo1 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Long story short; about an average of 6 minutes depending n the earths' distance from the sun on her elliptic orbit.
2007-02-20 19:31:30 · answer #5 · answered by The Stainless Steel Rat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the speed of light is 3 x 10^10 cm/s
and it takes about 8.5 minutes for sunlight to reach the earth..
hope this helps you!
2007-02-20 19:39:48 · answer #6 · answered by melia_bg 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey ScarabX
The sunlight that shines on us is 8.5 minutes old when it reaches Earth.
~thanks for the Question!~
2007-02-20 19:20:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
as i know it will take 8 minutes in order the sunlight reach the planet!
2007-02-20 19:41:30 · answer #8 · answered by john_gonzaga90 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On average, the distance between the earth and the sun is 93 million miles. Based on that average distance,it takes 8.333 minutes.
2007-02-20 20:52:36 · answer #9 · answered by light_speedz 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the speed of light is 3.00 x 10 ^ 8 m/s
the earth is 149.6 million km away from the sun
so.. about 8 minutes!!!
2007-02-20 19:20:58 · answer #10 · answered by peaches87 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋