Light

The Speed of Light

How long does it take light to travel certain distances?

The table below lists some travel times for light.

Distance Time
1 foot 1 nanosecond
1 mile 5.3 microseconds
From New York City to Los Angeles 0.016 seconds
Around Earth’s equator 0.133 seconds
From the Moon to Earth 1.29 seconds
From the Sun to Earth 8 minutes
From Alpha Centauri to Earth 4 years