Donate SIGN UP

Sun to Earth

Avatar Image
kermit911 | 11:22 Fri 20th Apr 2007 | Science
5 Answers
If all the light we get from the sun just stopped, for what ever reason. How long would it take for us on Earth to see the light go out.?
A freind of mine is incisting that if are sun "Blew out" it would take 1000's of years for us on earth to notice the light stopped. I told him thats true for VERY Distant stars but not are own Sun.
Earth is about 93,000,000 miles from the good old sun.
Light travels about 670,000,000 Miles per hour.
Do the math, Correct?
Is my info correct? Can I come back at him with this? Thanx all

Kermit
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 5 of 5rss feed

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by kermit911. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
It would take 8 minutes
...and 18 seconds! ;-)
The confusion here comes from where it "blows out" from.

It takes light just over 8 minutes to reach us after it leaves the sun, but the photons created deep in the heart of the sun can take thousands of years to reach the surface.
This was one of Einstein gedanken experiments I think.

If the light stopped for the reason of the sun not being there suddenly, would earth whizz out to space and when would it start doing so, bearing in mind of course that someone standing on the sun and someone standing on earth would neva be able to agree on a common time.

but there is this thing about gravity waves, and the Earth starts to whizz out after around 8 minutes - it can;t do it before that or else the infomation travels faster than light and this is a relativity no-no.

Just trying to help.
all you have to do wait till after sun set it soon get dark give or take a few minutes

1 to 5 of 5rss feed

Do you know the answer?

Sun to Earth

Answer Question >>