The Sun gives life to the Earth with its rays: it is our mother star. Located 150 million kilometers away, it is the source of almost all the energy that reaches the planet.
What is the Astro Rey made of? It is a ball of hot gas composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Its temperature is around 15 million degrees Celsius, so high that it triggers a nuclear reaction, releasing energy in the form of light and heat.
light and heat from the sun They are essential for life on Earth. Plants use their light to carry out photosynthesis, a process that converts carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and carbohydrates.
Animals eat plants or other animals that fed on plants, rreceiving energy from carbohydrates to survive.
The star also helps to regulate the climate on our planet. Sunlight heats the Earth’s surface, and the heat is distributed throughout the planet through the atmosphere. In addition, it helps to evaporate water from the oceans, creating clouds and rain.
In short, without the Sun, there would be no life on Earth. But how long does it take light from the Sun to reach Earth?
The time it takes for light from the Sun to reach Earth
As we have said, the average distance between the Sun and the Earth is 150 million kilometers. The sunlight, according to NASA, It travels at a speed of almost 300 thousand kilometers per second.
Therefore, it takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds in reaching the light of the astro to our planet.
There are two factors that influence, as well explained by the Sky at Night portal: our planet’s orbit, which is slightly elliptical instead of perfectly circular, and the rate of formation of photons of light.
Photons of light are not formed on the solar surface: they are made deep within the star. So, They can take thousands, tens of billions of years to just reach the surface of the star, before the 8 minute 20 second trip to the planet.
both determine the arrival time of sunlight.