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ScienceSurprise 3/5Difficulty 2/5Reviewed on September 13, 2026

The speed of light in a vacuum is exactly 299,792,458 metres per second.

Why it is true

Since 1983, the speed of light in a vacuum has been a constant defined by convention. The exact value is 299,792,458 metres per second. From it, the metre came to be defined as the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second.

Source: BIPM

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