2007-12-17 12:44:08 · 12 answers · asked by ? 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
About 8 minutes and 20 seconds.
2007-12-17 12:46:50 · answer #1 · answered by Keith P 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
For the average distance of Earth to sun, it will take about 8 minutes and 20 seconds.
2007-12-25 15:19:17 · answer #2 · answered by caltam84 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here's a better question: How long does it take gravity to travel from the sun to the earth?
2007-12-18 02:27:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The average distance from the Sun to Earth (centre to centre) is one astronomical unit:
149,597,870.69 km
Speed of light in vacuum is 299,792.458 km/s
1 A.U. = 499.0047838 light-seconds.
At the next perihelion (closest point to the Sun on our orbit) on January 4, 2008, at 23:00 UT (6 p.m. New York time), the distance will be:
147,096,448 km (centre to centre).
The light we see is from the surface of the sun, not its centre. We stand on Earth's surface, not at its centre.
Sun's radius = 696,265 km
Earth's radius near latitude 22 S = 6375 km
If you are just west of the Cook Islands (Pacific Ocean), the sun will be directly overhead at noon just as we reach perihelion.
The distance to the surface of the sun will be:
147,096,448 - 696,285 - 6375 = 146,393,788 km
Light from the Sun's surface would take 488.317 seconds (8 m 8.3 s) to reach you.
2007-12-17 23:17:03 · answer #4 · answered by Raymond 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yup just over 8 minutes. If the sun exploded, it would take that long for us to see it, and feel it too, because nothing can travel as fast as light, even gravity!
2007-12-17 20:54:07 · answer #5 · answered by RCM24 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For who?
the light itself
or
from our perspective.
remember, time can seem to change depending on how fast you travel. its called time dilation.
plus
the distance between the earth and the sun is not constant.
we're in an oval shaped orbit.
At it's closest, the distance is 91,402,000 miles
light takes 8 minutes 17 seconds. (from our perspective)
At it's farthest distance is 94,512,000 miles.
Light take 8 minutes 27 seconds (from our perspective)
8 minutes 19 seconds is the average. (from our perspective)
from the average, and from the light's point of view it would seem like it takes 1 minute 4 seconds because of time dialation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_dilation
2007-12-17 20:51:39 · answer #6 · answered by Mercury 2010 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
It takes exactly 8 minutes and 19 seconds.
2007-12-17 20:49:14 · answer #7 · answered by Sonny 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
About 8 minuets.
2007-12-18 06:47:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
8 min and 28 sec
2007-12-17 22:38:29 · answer #9 · answered by I am everything, and nothing 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whoops Keith P is right
2007-12-17 20:47:09 · answer #10 · answered by Ste Bone 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋