{"id":62741,"date":"2024-08-28T09:07:14","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T09:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/366e0518-5ac9-4c47-aaa2-6c05347192cc"},"modified":"2024-08-28T09:39:43","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T09:39:43","slug":"how-long-would-it-take-to-get-to-the-sun-thats-where-the-fastest-object-ever-built-is-headed","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/how-long-would-it-take-to-get-to-the-sun-thats-where-the-fastest-object-ever-built-is-headed\/","title":{"rendered":"How long would it take to get to the Sun? That’s where the fastest object ever built is headed"},"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 <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 28 August 2024 at 09:07 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>

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

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

Find out how long it takes to walk round the Moon<\/a> and how long to travel around the world<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

A diagram showing how Earth orbits the Sun. Credit: Adrian Dean<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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>
Spacecraft use gravity assists from Venus<\/a> to reach the Sun and repeat the process to achieve closer passes of the Sun’s surface.<\/p>
ESA’s Solar Orbiter<\/a>, launched on 10 February 2020, came within 77 million km (48 million miles) by June of that year.<\/p>
$\"A$
A view of the Sun captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft during perihelion, the spacecraft’s closest point to the Sun in its orbit. Credit: ESA & NASA\/Solar Orbiter\/EUI Team<\/figcaption><\/figure>
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe<\/a>, launched on 12 August 2018, is the fastest object ever built<\/a>.<\/p>
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>
At its closest approach, Parker Solar Probe will be just 6 million km (3.8 million miles) from the Sun’s surface, 7 times closer than any previous mission, and reach speeds of 690,000 km\/h (430,000 mph)<\/p>
The spacecraft will endure temperatures of 1,370 degrees Celsius (1643 Kelvin).<\/p>
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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