Interactive space

Light Travel Time Calculator

Space has a speed limit. Enter a distance and see how long light needs to cross it.

Distance → delay

149,598,262 km takes light about 8.32 min

Preset: average Earth–Sun distance. The calculation uses the exact SI value c = 299,792,458 m/s in vacuum.

Light time8.32 min
Light-travel time8.32 min499.006089 seconds
Distance in meters149,598,262,000 mtime = distance ÷ c

Exact constant, approximate astronomy

What the number means

The speed of light in vacuum is exactly 299,792,458 m/s because the SI metre is defined using that fixed value. Real astronomical distances change continuously, so Earth–Moon and Earth–Sun presets are representative average distances rather than a live ephemeris.