How hot is the Sun, its surface and core? How long does it take the Sun's rays to reach the Earth?
The Sun is VERY hot! The core of the Sun, or the center of the Sun, is 27,000,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Compare this to the temperature on a hot summer day, about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The surface of the Sun is cooler than the core of the Sun. Its temperature is 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's still very hot!
Sunlight travels at the speed of light. The speed of light doesn't change. The speed of light is 186,282 miles per second or 299,792,458 meters per second. This means the light from the Sun takes eight minutes to travel to Earth. It travels a very long distance in eight minutes because it travels so fast. If the world's fastest land animal were to travel that same distance, it would take a cheetah over 151 years to reach the Earth!
Submitted by Jasmine (Minnesota, USA)
Submitted by Bobby (Quebec, Canada)
Submitted by John (Australia)
Submitted by Derek (Kansas, USA)
(September 22, 1997)
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