How long does it take for sunlight to reach Earth?

It takes approximately 8 minutes and 20 seconds for sunlight to travel from the Sun to the Earth. This distance is known as one astronomical unit (AU), which is about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers).

The speed of light is approximately 186,282 miles per second (299,792 kilometers per second). Since the distance between the Sun and Earth varies throughout the year due to the elliptical shape of Earth's orbit, the time it takes for sunlight to reach Earth can vary slightly.

It is important to note that although it takes sunlight 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach Earth, it takes much longer for energy generated in the Sun's core to reach the surface, where it can be emitted as sunlight. This energy can take hundreds of thousands of years to make its way through the various layers of the Sun.