How Fast Moonlight Really Travels
What Moonlight Is
Moonlight is sunlight reflected off the surface of the Moon. It is not a light of its own but a mirror of the Sun’s rays. The Moon’s surface reflects only about 12% of the sunlight it receives which is why moonlight appears much dimmer than sunlight.
The Speed of Moonlight
Moonlight travels at the same speed as all light in a vacuum: approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (186,282 miles per second). This speed is unimaginably fast enough to circle the Earth over seven times in just one second.
The Journey from the Moon to Earth
Even though the Moon is relatively close in astronomical terms, moonlight still has to travel about 384,400 kilometers (238,855 miles) to reach Earth. Thanks to the speed of light, this journey takes only about 1.28 seconds.
Why Moonlight Appears Dimmer
The Moon reflects only a small fraction of sunlight which is why the glow we see is soft and gentle. Most sunlight is absorbed by the Moon or scattered leaving only a fraction to illuminate our night sky.
The Cosmic Perspective
Despite the Moon being hundreds of thousands of kilometers away, the speed of moonlight allows us to see its features almost instantaneously. This near instant connection helps us observe lunar phases, eclipses and even subtle changes on the Moon’s surface with our eyes or telescopes.
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