• News
    • Tech News
    • AI
  • Gadgets
    • Apple
    • iPhone
  • Gaming
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
  • Science
    • News
    • Space
  • Streaming
    • Netflix
  • Vehicles
    • Car News
  • Social Media
    • WhatsApp
    • YouTube
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
TikTok
Snapchat
WhatsApp
Submit Your Content
Video demonstrating the speed of light is blowing people’s minds

Home> Science

Published 10:39 22 Dec 2023 GMT

Video demonstrating the speed of light is blowing people’s minds

Video animating the speed of light across planet Earth and our solar system is blowing viewers' minds.

Rebekah Jordan

Rebekah Jordan

When something happens in the blink of an eye, it's hard to imagine how fast it's travelling.

Sometimes you need to a slow-motion replay or a visual concept to understand what's really happening.

Sure, we know it's the fastest entity on Earth, but how can we put it into context?

Advert

One video has visually represented how fast light is actually is.

Planetary scientist Dr. James O’Donoghue has created an animated video that helps viewers visualise the astonishing speed of light in the context of Earth and our solar system.

The animated video illustrates the speed of light across planet Earth / Instagram/@nowspacetime
The animated video illustrates the speed of light across planet Earth / Instagram/@nowspacetime

And the results are magnificent!

Advert

In a vacuum around Earth, light would complete 7.5 orbits per second around the Earth's surface. Or if you're looking at a world map, light would complete 7.5 laps a second.

For a trip from Earth's surface to the moon's surface, light would take 1.255 seconds. To reach Mars from Earth, it would take only 3 minutes and 2 seconds.

Impressively, light can travel from the sun to Earth, approximately 148 million kilometres, in just 8 minutes. Although, it takes a little over four hours for light to reach Neptune, the farthest planet in our solar system, covering a distance of 4.5 billion kilometres.

Viewers are mixed in their reactions to the video.

Advert

One comment said: 'That's insanely fast. That far in just a matter of minutes!'

Whereas other views expected more speed, saying: 'Thought it would be way faster than that.'

The video is surprising viewers / spawns / Getty
The video is surprising viewers / spawns / Getty

Another commented: 'This video explanation of light speed may not be the hero we want, but it’s definitely the hero we need.'

Advert

It's important to know that light doesn't always travel at the speed of light.

On paper it's 299,792,458 metres per second, which is 671 million miles per hour - or 186,000 miles per second!

Instead, the fastest speed of light we know within a vacuum, and this is the speed illustrated in the video - reaching reaching millions of miles away in minutes.

On planet Earth, there's zero lag. You'll notice this when you flip a switch in your house, and light comes on instantaneously.

Advert

But when you look at light in terms of travelling across the vastness of the universe, light doesn't seem to travel at a bolting speed.

For instance, another video helps to visualise how 'slow' light is in real-time by showing light travel from the sun to Jupiter, which takes about 43 minutes. But it all comes down to your starting point.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@nowspacetime / spawns / Getty
Science
Space
Earth

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • NASA simulation reveals horrifying way Earth could be 'ejected' from the solar system
  • NASA make historic discovery of violent black hole hiding 600,000,000 light years away
  • Footage of an astronaut washing her hair on the International Space Station is blowing peoples minds
  • Astronaut showcases the view of Earth from aboard the International Space Station and it’s seriously mind-blowing

Choose your content:

3 days ago
  • 3 days ago

    Scientists identify source of eerie ocean rings used as a 'communication' signal from non-humans

    This could change everything

    Science
  • 3 days ago

    Shocking study reveals exactly how quickly humanity would go extinct if we stopped having children

    Humanity could be plunged into chaos quicker than you might think

    Science
  • 3 days ago

    Doctor issues warning over simple supplement dubbed 'nature's Ozempic'

    Opting for 'natural Ozempic' might not be as good as it seems

    Science
  • 3 days ago

    Scientists discover groundbreaking new evidence that the Big Bang theory is wrong

    A team of researchers have come up with the new Black Hole Universe theory

    Science