What is the Distance Between Sun and Earth?

The average distance between the Sun and Earth is about 149.6 million kilometers (150 million km) or approximately 93 million miles. This distance is known as one Astronomical Unit (AU), which astronomers use as a standard unit of measurement within our solar system.

Because Earth's orbit around the Sun is slightly elliptical, this distance can vary throughout the year:

• At its closest (perihelion): about 147.1 million km.
• At its farthest (aphelion): about 152.1 million km.

The time taken by light from the Sun to reach Earth is about 8 minutes and 20 seconds.