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Question
if you shot a bullet at the sun how long would it take to get there
Hello,
Actually, it would NEVER get there! The reason is that a bullet cannot be fired with a large enough velocity to escape the Earth's gravitational field.
The escape velocity for Earth (to escape its "gravity well") is about 25,000 mph (or 36, 700 ft per second) while even the fastest bullets only travel about 2,000 ft/sec or nearly 16 times less.
Hence, no bullet fired from Earth will ever reach the Sun.
However, if you managed to somehow fire a bullet from *space* (say at least 250 miles altitude) and the bullet velocity was 2,000 ft. per second, it would take roughly 68, 200 hours to reach the Sun (assuming a constant velocity) which translates into 2842 days, approximately or ~ 7.78 years.
Hope this sheds some light!
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Answers by Expert:
Philip Stahl
Expertise
I have forty years of experience in Astronomy, specifically solar and space physics. My specialties include the physics of solar flares, sunspots, including their effects on Earth and statistics as applied to astronomical investigations.
Experience
Astronomy: more than forty years experience starting with construction of my own simple telescopes. Worked at university observatory in college, doing astrographic measurements. M.Phil. degree in Physics/Solar Physics and more than ten years as researcher.
Organizations
American Astronomical Society (Solar Physics and Dynamical Astronomy divisions), American Mathematical Society, American Geophysical Union
Publications
Solar Physics (journal), The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, The Proceedings of the Meudon Solar Flare Workshop (1986), The Proceedings of the Caribbean Physics Conference (1985). Books: 'Selected Analyses in Solar Flare Plasma Dynamics', 'Physics Notes for Advanced Level'.
Education/Credentials
B.A. Astronomy, M. Phil. Physics
Awards and Honors
American Astronomical Society Studentship Award (1984), Barbados Government Award for Solar Research
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