0
You measure distance. The earth orbits the sun. The orbit has a radius of 93 million miles and a diameter of 186 million miles. At both sides of the orbit, a telescope measures the angle between the earth and a star. Astronomers then use Trigonometry to calculate the distance between the earth and the star. They have the diameter of 186 million miles and two angles. After they calculate the distance, they know the distance of a particular star. Since people tend to get lost looking at a page full of zeroes, they divide the giant number by another giant number, the distance light travels in a year. They were able to find the distance to a few Cepheid variables. They discovered their brightness varies with their distance. For stars beyond the distance they can measure using trigonometry, they use nearby Cepheid variables.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoLight year is the distance of light travels in one year.
Light travels at about 300,000 km per sec/186,000 miles per sec. There are 31,556,926 seconds in a year.
31,556,926 * 300,000 = 9,500,000,000,000 km/5,865,696,000,000 miles (i round it off a bit)
9,500,000,000,000 km/5,865,696,000,000 miles = 1 light year.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago- Find planet
- Find distance of planet from Sun. Try "how far is xxxxx from the Sun" in wikianswers where xxxxx is the planet of your choice.
- Take the average distance in Km and divide by 300,000. This will give you the distance in light seconds.
- Divide by 60 to give light minutes
- Divide by 60 to give light hours
- Divide by 24 to give light days.
- Divide by 365.25 to give light years.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoLight Years aren't measured, they are just the distance light travels in a year. This is easily worked out if you know the speed of light (distance travelled = speed x time taken)
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago60 x 60 x 24 x 365/366(leap year) x 186,000
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThere is no formula. Light year is the distance as in how many years it takes a star's light to reach its message toward Earth.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoYou can use an online converter to get an accurate calculation, but a light year is roughly ten trillion kilometres (10,000,000,000,000 km).
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoLight speed per second*seconds in a year
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
How many normal years are there in one light year?
Only one. Because Light year is a messure of distance not of time. Light year is the distance travelled by light in one year.
What is the lenght of a light year in miles?
One light year (the distance light travels in one year) is:5,878,625,373,000,000,000,000 miles.
What is the value of light year?
A light year is how far light will travel in a vacuum in one single year(Julian) The Value of a light year is, 9,460,730,472,580.8Km.
Which unit of measurement represents the distance light travels in one year light-year or parsec?
"light-year"
How long is a light year what does a light year describe?
A light-year is the distance light can travel in one year. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. Multiply that by 3600 seconds in an hour and then by 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year and you will get the distance in one light-year.A light year is defined as 9,460,730,472,580,800 meters exactly, derivedfrom the distance that light travels in vacuum in one Julian year.
Calculate the number of light years in one meter?
100 quintillionths of a light year are in a meter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-year
What is the difference between light year and light min?
A light year is how far light travels in a year. A light min is how far light travels in a minute. light speed is 186000 mile/sec, at this speed you have to calculate how far it would travel in one year or one minute
What is the size of a light year?
It is hard to measure because light travels at such a high speed in one second that in one year, it would be too large a number to calculate. Try finding our the speed of light per second or minute and using conversions to calculate how many miles it would be. :)
What is use by scientist to measure the distance light travel in one year?
Scientists don't measure the distance light travels in one year. They calculate it by measuring the speed of light. The speed is 300,000,000 meters/sec. and can be measured in the laboratory with a rotating mirror apparatus. To get the distance traveled by light in one year you multiply the speed (above) by the number of seconds in a year. The answer will come out in meters and is also called one light year.
Calculate how far light travels in one year scientific notation?
5.8786 x 1012 miles (rounded)
What is the distance used to calculate light-years?
Light-year is the distance in this case. It is the distance light travels in a year, and is equal to about 9.5 x 1012 kilometers.
How many second in a light year?
A light year is a measure of distance, not time. A light year is the distance that light will travel in one year. One light second is 186,000 miles. A light year is a measure of distance, not time. A light year is the distance that light will travel in one year. One light second is 186,000 miles.
How many normal years are there in one light year?
Only one. Because Light year is a messure of distance not of time. Light year is the distance travelled by light in one year.
What is the lenght of a light year in miles?
One light year (the distance light travels in one year) is:5,878,625,373,000,000,000,000 miles.
What is the value of light year?
A light year is how far light will travel in a vacuum in one single year(Julian) The Value of a light year is, 9,460,730,472,580.8Km.
Which unit of measurement represents the distance light travels in one year light-year or parsec?
"light-year"
What is the term for the distance light can travel in one year in a vacuum?
The distance light travels in one year is called a light year.It is approximately 6 trillion miles.9.4605284 x 1015 metresLight year is the distance traveled by light in one year. we just cannot imagine this. Because light travels 3*108 m/s. so just think how much it will travel in one minute, one day, one week, one month & one year.Exactly 9,460,730,472,580.8 (just under 9.46*1012) kilometers.
