{"id":44454,"date":"2023-04-28T07:32:28","date_gmt":"2023-04-28T07:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=118092"},"modified":"2023-04-28T08:32:31","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T08:32:31","slug":"how-long-would-it-take-to-get-to-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/how-long-would-it-take-to-get-to-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"How long would it take to get to the Sun?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you could drive to the Sun from Earth, how long would it take? And how long does it take spacecraft to get there? <\/p>

By Jenny Winder\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 28 April 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Depending on your preferred method of transport, it would take you 19 years to reach the Sun on a plane travelling at 885 km\/h (550 mph) or 177 years to drive at 96 km\/h (60 mph) or 3,536 years to walk there at 4.8 km\/h (3 mph).<\/p>\n

A photon of light makes the journey from the Sun to Earth<\/a> in just 8 minutes and 20 seconds.<\/p>\n

Earth orbits the Sun<\/a> at an average distance of 150 million km (93 million miles), which we call 1 Astronomical Unit.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A diagram showing how Earth orbits the Sun. Credit: Adrian Dean<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

At perihelion Earth is 147 million km (91.4 million miles) from the Sun, and at aphelion it is 151 million km (94 million miles) away.<\/p>\n

Spacecraft use gravity assists from Venus<\/a> to reach the Sun and repeat the process to achieve closer passes of the Sun\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n

ESA\u2019s Solar Orbiter<\/a>, launched on 10 February 2020, came within 77 million km (48 million miles) by June of that year.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A view of the Sun captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft during perihelion, the spacecraft\u2019s closest point to the Sun in its orbit. Credit: ESA & NASA\/Solar Orbiter\/EUI Team<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

NASA\u2019s Parker Solar Probe<\/a>, launched on 12 August 2018, is the fastest object ever built.<\/p>\n

Using the first of what will end up being 7 flybys of Venus, it reached the Sun less than 3 months later on November 6.<\/p>\n

At its closest approach, Parker Solar Probe will be just 6 million km (3.8 million miles) from the Sun\u2019s surface, 7 times closer than any previous mission, and reach speeds of 690,000 km\/h (430,000 mph)<\/p>\n

The spacecraft will endure temperatures of 1,370 degrees Celsius (1643 Kelvin).<\/p>\n

Due to the 11.4 cm (4.5 inch) heat shield, which weighs just 73 kg (160 lbs), the instruments inside will remain around 29 degrees C.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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