Moonlight takes about 1.3 seconds to reach the Earth. This is because light moves very fast — at a speed of about 300,000 kilometers per second (km/s).

The distance between the Moon and the Earth is about 384,000 kilometers. When you divide this distance by the speed of light, you get the time light takes to travel. That is:

384,000 km ÷ 300,000 km/s ≈ 1.28 seconds

This means that when you look at the Moon, you are actually seeing it as it looked about 1.3 seconds ago. It’s not a big delay, but it’s still interesting to know that even light needs time to travel.

Moonlight is not its own light. The Moon reflects light from the Sun. So, the light comes from the Sun to the Moon and then from the Moon to the Earth. But the 1.3 seconds we talk about here is just the final step — from Moon to Earth.

This fact helps scientists study space and the speed of light. It also shows how distances in space are huge, even for places close to us like the Moon.

So next time you look at the Moon, remember — you’re seeing it with a delay of a little over one second!