Does the Sun shine in space?

In space or on the Moon there is no atmosphere to scatter light. The light from the sun travels a straight line without scattering and all the colors stay together. Looking toward the sun we thus see a brilliant white light while looking away we would see only the darkness of empty space.

How far does light travel from the Sun?

The Sun is at an average distance of about 93,000,000 miles (150 million kilometers) away from Earth. It is so far away that light from the Sun, traveling at a speed of 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) per second, takes about 8 minutes to reach us.

When a photon of light from the Sun is detected in your eye roughly how long ago was it created?

The speed of light in a vacuum is 299,792,458 meters per second, not infinite. Let’s say, for example, particle of a beam of light, the photon, is emitted. It takes ~8 minutes to get to us; when it hits our eyes, we see it. This means that we see a photon that was emitted from the sun 8 minutes ago.

What determines how far light travels?

A photon will travel “at the speed of light” until obstructed. From the speed, and elapsed time, you can calculate how far the light will travel. Laser light consists of more than one photon “in phase”, which has exactly the same property in this respect, as a solitary photon.

Why does the sun appear as a shadow outside?

When the Sun makes long and short shadows outdoors, it is the Earth, not the light source (Sun), that moves. As the Earth’s axial rotation spins our planet towards the light of the Sun, we see the Sun appear in the east. Due to the Earth’s rotation, our view of the Sun changes throughout the day.

Why do photons from the sun always travel in the same direction?

Photons from the Sun are always travelling in more or less the same direction, because they all came from the Sun, but it’s easier to notice this when the light is concentrated in one particular place like this. Finally, we have to explain why you’re able to see the beam at all.

What changes during the 24-hour cycle of light and dark?

Actually, the Earth is spinning (rotating on its axis) so it is our view of the Sun in the sky that changes during each 24-hour cycle of light and dark. We see the sunrise when our location on Earth spins towards the light of the Sun. As the Earth continues to spin, we see the Sun higher in the sky.

Why doesn’t the sun’s light ever reach the Earth?

But the Sun is far away from Earth. Most of those photons don’t reach the Earth because they’re heading in the wrong direction. Only those photons that happen to be heading toward the Earth actually get there – and the photons that are heading to the Earth are all heading in more or less the same direction.