How long does Hght take to reach the Earth from the Sun ?

Light travels at a speed of approximately 300,000 km/second [4]. The mean distance between the Sun and the Earth is about 149,598,000 km [4]. By dividing this distance by the speed of light, the travel time is calculated to be approximately 499 seconds. This duration translates to roughly 8 minutes and 20 seconds [2]. While the exact time can vary slightly due to Earth's elliptical orbit, which ranges from perihelion to aphelion, the standard average cited in scientific literature is approximately 8.3 minutes [3]. Among the provided options, 8 minutes is the most accurate approximation for the time it takes sunlight to reach Earth [1]. If the Sun were to stop emitting light, it would take this same duration for an observer on Earth to notice the change [2].

Sources

1. [3] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: The Origin and Evolution of the Earth > The Star Formation > p. 14
2. [4] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 1: The Universe, The Big Bang Theory, Galaxies & Stellar Evolution > Our Galaxy (The Milky Way) > p. 8
3. [2] Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 11: Light: Shadows and Reflections > FASCINATING FACTS > p. 168
4. [1] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 2: The Earth's Crust > Exploring the Universe > p. 2