Approximately how long does it take the photons released in nuclear reactions in the core of the sun to exit the sun?
Answers
Our Sun has been burning brightly for currently about 4.5 billion years and will continue to do so for another 7 billion years or so. A photon from the surface of the Sun takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds for it to reach the Earth; 500 seconds to travel about 150 million km. Inside the Sun however, it takes many thousands of years for a photon to get from the core to the surface. As the Sun is only about 700,000 km in diameter it should only take a photon traveling at the speed of light about 2.3 seconds to travel that distance. So, why does it take so long? Studying the inner anatomy of the Sun, itʼs density and processes, is the only way to come to understand why it takes as long as it does for a particle traveling at light speed to move such a short distance.
Answer:
A photon of light takes only eight minutes to get to the Earth from the surface of the Sun. But it can take 100,000 years from the core of the Sun to get to the surface — where it bursts out and flies at the speed of light.
Explanation:
A photon of light takes only eight minutes to get to the Earth from the surface of the Sun. But it can take 100,000 years from the core of the Sun to get to the surface — where it bursts out and flies at the speed of light.Apr 24, 2012