Detailed image of the sun showcasing its fiery surface and glowing edges.

Sunlight Doesn’t Escape Fast

Energy made in the core does not race straight out. In the radiative zone, photons scatter so often that they can take about a million years to cross that layer.

Sunlight vs Neutrinos: Two Very Different Escapes

The photosphere is structured by convection cells referred to as granules.

A Very Slow Climb

A broad estimate for a photon’s trip to the surface is around 10,000 to 170,000 years. Inside the Sun, light keeps getting absorbed and re-emitted in random directions.

Sunlight vs Neutrinos: Two Very Different Escapes

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