# What causes light to move through a vacuum

I was looking at rockets and stuff and thought about how they move through a vacuum using newtons 3rd law, and then I started thinking of any other ways you could move through a vacuum without using this and then I thought about the photon. I then thought how does the photon move through a vacuum? So I searched it online and couldn't find an answer. So my question is simply how does a photon move through a vacuum? Is it because its massless? Is it because it is thrown from an electron or whatever like a rock from a slingshot? Or is it something completely different? I'm very curious!

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Any thing can move through vacuum, not only photon but also electron and any other particle. –  Anixx Dec 25 '11 at 12:12

Actually Mirror is not actually effected in that sense, as only some of the energy is actually absorbed so not complete newtons laws are in affect not all look at this equation $E_2 = \frac {m_1}{1- cos(\theta) + \frac {m_1}{E_1}}$. This shows as the mass of the mirror increases it actually absorbs less energy thus as $m_1 -> \infty$ the mirror basically absorbs less energy thus not following newtons laws and not moving as much. But strictly you are still correct. –  Rohan Vijjhalwar Aug 28 at 11:51