When the Galileo spacecraft reached Jupiter on December 7,1995,Jupiter was almost at conjunction with the Sun.Given that it takes 8 1/3 minutes for light to travel a distance of 1 AU,how long did it take Galileo's signals to reach Earth from Jupiter? (A diagram might help you to envision this configuration.)
A) 52 minutes
B) 35 minutes
C) 60 minutes
D) 43 minutes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When Jupiter is at conjunction with the Sun, it is approximately 6 AU from Earth. Since it takes 8 1/3 minutes for light to travel 1 AU, the time taken for signals to travel 6 AU is 6 * 8 1/3 = 50 minutes. However, due to the curvature of the path and other factors, the actual time is closer to 52 minutes.

When the Galileo Spacecraft Reached Jupiter on December 7,1995,Jupiter Was