The time it takes for a photon to reach the Sun’s photosphere

[Terra Australis]

Extraordinary fact that a photon produced at the centre of the Sun takes at least 1 million years to escape from the Sun’s dense core. In fact the original photon produced by fusion of hydrogen and emitted with gamma rays is more likely to be destroyed by interacting further with other atoms thus producing a chain of photons .
I think I have this right!
Thoughts anyone?

 

[rod]

This report indicates perhaps 10,000 to 170,000 years and the million or more figures found are not accurate. NASA - Sun-Earth Day - Technology Through Time - #50 Ancient Sunlight

I point out that since the days of telescope use by Galileo, there is no observation and measurement that confirms the theoretical calculation(s) and time period used in astronomy. There is no lab experiments either confirming this time period used. The long time periods start in the core but if some light was at the surface just from a bit of gravitational potential energy, this would change the time periods. Various assumptions are made in the answers thrown around for post #1.

 

[rod]

Dense 'hot spots' on a young star reveal what Earth's sun may have looked in its infancy

Astronomers may have captured the best view yet of matter colliding with the surface of a young star, findings that may shed light on what the sun looked like in its youth. Dense 'hot spots' on a young star reveal what Earth's sun may have looked in its infancy : Read more

forums.space.com

A parallel to the long flight time for light from the Sun's core to reach the surface are reports like this link. The Sun in its early days is said to be like other young stars observed in astronomy today, with accretion hot spots perhaps and spinning much faster too. That enters into the Faint Young Sun problem in geology because of the timescales used. Again, since the days of Galileo using telescopes, no one sees a young Sun today or accretion hot spots on the surface or a very fast solar rotation at the Sun's equator. We cannot observe directly photons take 10,000 years, 170,000 years or billions of years for that light to reach the surface of the Sun either

 

[Terra Australis]

Ok got it thanks Rod, that was a really interesting article. Thanks for posting it

 

[Helio]

This report indicates perhaps 10,000 to 170,000 years and the million or more figures found are not accurate. NASA - Sun-Earth Day - Technology Through Time - #50 Ancient Sunlight

Nice snag! This is the best description I've seen.

18,000 years is a popular estimated time for the Random Walk (as it is known), IIRC. It was based on uniform density only. Including density changes with radius involves unruly calculus, apparently. I don't think anyone has ever gone to that amount of trouble, and the margin of error would still be large.

The article states, "Why do you still see these erroneous estimates of '10 million years' still being used? Because textbook authors and editors do not bother to actually make the correct calculation themselves, and rely on older published answers from similar textbooks."

And they follow this with their colorful artwork of....... a yellow Sun.

 

[Hardcrunchyscience]

Extraordinary fact that a photon produced at the centre of the Sun takes at least 1 million years to escape from the Sun’s dense core. In fact the original photon produced by fusion of hydrogen and emitted with gamma rays is more likely to be destroyed by interacting further with other atoms thus producing a chain of photons .
I think I have this right!
Thoughts anyone?

I heard 100,000 years, but more importantly, I think it is not one photon making the journey, there would be a HUGE number of absorptions/reemissions. The statement should more correctly be "it takes X years for the energy to move from the core to the surface, transported by photons".

 

[GwylimP]

Check out Dr. Karl's take on it on the ABC website. I tried to post the link, but it wouldn't let me.