Light from the Sun takes approximately 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach Earth on average. This is calculated by dividing the average distance from the Sun to Earth-about 150 million kilometers (93 million miles)-by the speed of light, which is roughly 300,000 kilometers per second (186,000 miles per second)
. Because Earth's orbit is elliptical, this travel time can vary slightly, ranging from about 8 minutes 10 seconds to 8 minutes 27 seconds depending on Earth's position in its orbit
. It is important to note that this 8-minute 20-second figure represents the time it takes for photons to travel from the Sun’s surface to Earth. However, photons are actually generated deep inside the Sun and can take thousands to tens of thousands of years to reach the Sun’s surface before beginning their journey to Earth
. In summary:
- Average light travel time from Sun’s surface to Earth: ~8 minutes 20 seconds
- Variation due to elliptical orbit: approximately 8 minutes 10 seconds to 8 minutes 27 seconds
- Additional time for photons to travel inside the Sun: thousands of years before reaching the surface
Thus, when you see sunlight, you are seeing photons that left the Sun’s surface about 8 minutes ago, but those photons themselves began their journey inside the Sun long before that.
