It takes photons (particles of light) about 8 minutes to get from the Sun's surface to the Earth. But photons starting at the core of the Sun can take up to 100,000 YEARS to reach the solar surface because the Sun is so dense. Those particles can only move a few centimeters before they hit something and have to redirect their path.
top of page
MOIYA MCTIER,
Astrophysicist, Folklorist, & Science Communicator
Search
Recent Posts
See AllAlright, friends. Here it is, my 100th and final astronomy fun fact! And what better topic to end on than the ultimate fate of the...
Astronomy is often viewed as an unnecessary science because people think astronomy research doesn't directly affect people's lives....
2 Comments
bottom of page
Ummmm... kind of close? Aside from scale, the salient differences are that
1. whiffle balls have holes that the sand can escape through, but photons can escape anywhere on the solar surface
2. there are constantly more photons being produced in the core of the Sun, even though more sand isn't miraculously appearing in the middle of the whiffle ball
3. the photon that start out at the core isn't actually the photon that leaves the solar surface because photons get absorbed and re-emitted in random directions. This part is complicated and in some ways very philosophical
Bear with me... how close is it to think of the this as the sun is a whiffle ball with sand particles (photons) shaking around trying to escape?