At the speed of light to Jupiter: about 43 minutes
At the speed of light (1,079,252,849 km/h) it would take about 43 minutes to get to Jupiter – at the average distance of 778,000,000 km, non-stop and in a straight line.
Because the distance keeps changing, the travel time ranges from 33 minutes (closest) to 54 minutes (farthest).
For comparison
About as long as one half of a football (soccer) match (45 minutes).
How it is calculated
- Closest distance
- 588,000,000 km
- Average distance
- 778,000,000 km
- Farthest distance
- 968,000,000 km
- Speed
- 1,079,252,849 km/h
- Formula
- Travel time = distance ÷ speed
- Result
- 778,000,000 km ÷ 1,079,252,849 km/h ≈ 43 minutes
Assumption: constant speed in a straight line, with no stops, acceleration or braking. Real spacecraft fly curved paths and use the gravity of planets.
Good to know: Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet – more than 1,300 Earths would fit inside it. It is about 5.2 times as far from the Sun as Earth. As with all outer planets, the distance depends on whether it is on the same side of the Sun as Earth (about 590 million km) or on the opposite side (about 970 million km).
→ Fact sheet: Jupiter