It takes about a million years for a photon to exit the core of the sun
4) Surface and Corona
Corona
Helium Photon
Densely packed protons slow the Photon's speed to a crawl. It will take millions of years to get to the next zone.
5) Traveling to Earth
The density of the plasma in the Convection Zone is much less than in the radiative zone. At the surface, the density is ten thousand times less than the density of air, so the photon wouldn’t hit many atoms as it makes its way through. This allows the photon to move through this zone much quicker
6) End - Absorbed in the sands of the Lut Desert
The density of the surface is 10,000 times less than the density of air, so the photon wouldn’t hit many atoms as it travels. The corona is hundreds of times hotter than the surface. Although the corona is very sparsely populated with atoms, photons can still be scattered by dust or electrons. The photon can move through these areas much quicker.
Photosphere and Chromosphere
It takes about 8 minutes for the photon to reach Earth from the sun. Gamma, X and UV rays are absorbed in the atmosphere while visible light can pass through the atmosphere.
The photon is absorbed in the Lut Desert and the heat radiates into the air