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The light of the Sun that we see today was actually emitted 8 minutes ago. Light travels at a fixed speed, of 299,800 kilometers per second.

The distances to even the closest stars, when measured in kilometers or miles, is an enormously large number. So scientists and astronomers measure stellar distances in terms of how long it takes for light to travel here. So even the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, is so far away that it takes light 4.2 YEARS to get here. So we express this as "4.2 light-years", or LY.

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Q: When did the light from this star actually leave that star?
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Related questions

During which Earth year did the light that you see from Canopus actually leave the star?

The year is 1681


What year did the alpha centauri light leave the star?

If you mean the light we see NOW, it left the star about 4.4 years ago, since that is the distance of the star, expressed in light-years.


Does star twinkle?

because the light of stars travel and twinkles before our eyes,, :|Actually, the atmosphere's interference makes them look like they are twinkling, the light from the star is actually solid. Like our sun. Our sun is a star.


If a star is 2.5 million light years away approximately how long ago did the light leave?

2.5 million years


What do you call a star that has no heat or light?

A black dwarf. See related question


What is the star nearest to the sun how many light years away?

Toliman (a.k.a. Rigil Kentaurus, or Alpha Centauri), at a distance of 4.3 light-years. Actually this is a multiple star; one of its components, Proxima Centauri, is at a distance of 4.2 light-years.Toliman (a.k.a. Rigil Kentaurus, or Alpha Centauri), at a distance of 4.3 light-years. Actually this is a multiple star; one of its components, Proxima Centauri, is at a distance of 4.2 light-years.Toliman (a.k.a. Rigil Kentaurus, or Alpha Centauri), at a distance of 4.3 light-years. Actually this is a multiple star; one of its components, Proxima Centauri, is at a distance of 4.2 light-years.Toliman (a.k.a. Rigil Kentaurus, or Alpha Centauri), at a distance of 4.3 light-years. Actually this is a multiple star; one of its components, Proxima Centauri, is at a distance of 4.2 light-years.


How much light do you actually see looking at a star in the night sky?

As many as the stars.


What gives light in space?

The stars The sun is actually a star, so there are many "suns" throughout the universe providing light.


What is the evening or morning star called?

The morning/evening star is Venus. It is actually a planet but is often called a star. It is also the brightest light in the night sky.


What term describes the wavelengths of light from a star that appear to be longer than they actually are?

red shifted


How bright a star actually is a distance of 32.6 light years from earth is called?

That's called the star's absolute magnitude.


How is it possible to see light from a star that is no longer shining?

As light can take millions of years to reach us, then some stars we "see" can actually be dead but we are seeing the light from them as they were many years earlier. So yes, it is possible to see light from a star that is no longer shining.