how long does it take for light from Jupiter to come to earth. for example tonight the planet Jupiter can be seen by the moon, 2/25/12 and we see the light from the planet and how old is that light. thanks. jerry in colorado USA
When Earth and Jupiter are at their closest to each other they are 628,743,036 million km apart.
The speed of light = aprox. 300,000 km / sec
628,743,036 / 300,000 = 2096 sec
2096 sec = 34 min 56 sec
Aprox. 35 min
Well, Jerry, let me put on my funny hat and try to answer your question. You see, the distance between Jupiter and Earth varies depending on where they are in their respective orbits. On average, it takes about 35 minutes for light to travel from Jupiter to Earth. So, the light you're seeing tonight from Jupiter is roughly 35 minutes old. Just think, by the time you finish reading this, that light will be even older than your grandma's favorite fruitcake recipe!
To calculate the time it takes for light from Jupiter to reach Earth, we need to consider the distance between the two planets and the speed of light.
The distance between Jupiter and Earth varies depending on their positions in their respective orbits around the Sun. On average, the distance is about 484 million miles (778 million kilometers).
Now, we can calculate the time it takes for light to travel from Jupiter to Earth using the speed of light, which is approximately 186,282 miles per second (299,792 kilometers per second).
To find the time, we divide the distance by the speed of light:
Time = Distance / Speed of light
Time = 484 million miles / 186,282 miles per second
Using this formula, we find that it takes approximately 52 minutes for light from Jupiter to travel to Earth. Keep in mind that this is an average value, and the actual time can vary depending on the positions of the two planets in their orbits.
Regarding the light that you see tonight from Jupiter, it will be approximately 52 minutes old. This means that the light you are observing tonight left Jupiter about 52 minutes ago and has been traveling through space until it reached your eyes.
To determine how long it takes for light from Jupiter to reach Earth, we can make use of the concept of light-year. A light-year is the distance that light travels in one year, which is approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers or 5.88 trillion miles.
The distance between Earth and Jupiter varies depending on their positions in their respective orbits around the Sun. On average, the distance between Earth and Jupiter is about 588 million kilometers or 365 million miles. However, this value can range from about 628 million kilometers or 390 million miles at opposition (when Earth and Jupiter are closest) to about 928 million kilometers or 577 million miles at conjunction (when Earth and Jupiter are on opposite sides of the Sun).
To calculate how long it takes for light from Jupiter to reach Earth, we divide the distance between them by the speed of light. The speed of light is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second or 186,282 miles per second.
Let's assume that the average distance between Earth and Jupiter is 588 million kilometers or 365 million miles. To calculate how long it takes for light from Jupiter to reach Earth, we use the following formula:
Time = Distance / Speed
Time = 588,000,000 km / 299,792 km/s
Calculating that, we find that it takes light from Jupiter approximately 33 minutes to reach Earth.
Regarding the light we see from Jupiter tonight (2/25/12), it would be the light that left Jupiter's surface 33 minutes ago (assuming an average distance of 588 million kilometers).
Please note that the values mentioned here are approximate and can vary due to the changing positions of Earth and Jupiter in their orbits.