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Sunlight is way older than you think - Sten Odenwald

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13,370 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

It takes light a zippy 8 minutes to reach Earth from the surface of the Sun. But how long does it take that same light to travel from the Sun’s core to its surface? Oddly enough, the answer is many thousands of years. Sten Odenwald explains why by illustrating the random walk problem.

WatchThink Dig Deeper Discuss
Photons flow out of the core, interact with matter, lose energy, and become longer wavelength forms of light changing from gamma rays in the core to other forms of light. Which type of waves can they become after that?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Sten Odenwald
  • Director Eduardo Sandoval
  • Sound Designer Christopher Bullé-Goyri
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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