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A light year is not a physical object; rather, it is the distance light travels in a year.
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∙ 10y ago
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In astronomy and distances of the universe how much is a ly?
A light year is the distance that light can travel in a year.
What is the size in square miles of the Universe?
First, you would measure the diameter of the Universe in miles, or its volume in cubic miles; but what would you want to measure in square miles?Second, the size of the Universe is not currently known. The observable Universe has a radius of about 46 billion light-years. Convert that to kilometers or miles if you like. One light-year is about 10 million million kilometers. But the entire Universe is probably much, much bigger.First, you would measure the diameter of the Universe in miles, or its volume in cubic miles; but what would you want to measure in square miles?Second, the size of the Universe is not currently known. The observable Universe has a radius of about 46 billion light-years. Convert that to kilometers or miles if you like. One light-year is about 10 million million kilometers. But the entire Universe is probably much, much bigger.First, you would measure the diameter of the Universe in miles, or its volume in cubic miles; but what would you want to measure in square miles?Second, the size of the Universe is not currently known. The observable Universe has a radius of about 46 billion light-years. Convert that to kilometers or miles if you like. One light-year is about 10 million million kilometers. But the entire Universe is probably much, much bigger.First, you would measure the diameter of the Universe in miles, or its volume in cubic miles; but what would you want to measure in square miles?Second, the size of the Universe is not currently known. The observable Universe has a radius of about 46 billion light-years. Convert that to kilometers or miles if you like. One light-year is about 10 million million kilometers. But the entire Universe is probably much, much bigger.
Why was it necessary to definite new unit to measure distance in universe?
Because of the unwieldy large numbers that would otherwise be required.A Parsec is the distance from the Sun to Earth, and a light year is the distance that light would travel in a year.
How do astronomers know the universe is infinite?
The universe is not infinite. It is 156 billion light-years wide. A light-year is equivalent to about 9,500 billion km
Why was light year invented?
It is a simpler way of measuring very long distances, which is what we have in the Universe.
Why was the light year invented?
The light year was invented, because, at 182,000 miles/second (9,467,077,790 miles a year), it is the fastest thing in the universe. As the universe is very huge, this is more convenient than saying how many singular miles things are from each other. Ex: 2 light years instead of 18,934,155,580 miles.
How long is 9 trillion kilometers away from earth?
That is approximately equivalent to 1 light-year. That is to say, if travelling at the speed of light - the highest possible speed in the Universe - it will take a year to get there.
What are facts about lightyears?
A light year is a measurement of distance, not of time. It is the distance light travels in one year. Light is used to measure distance since it is the fastest thing in the Universe. A light-year equals about 9.46053 x 1012 km (or 5.878 x 1012 miles).
What is 1 light year from earth?
Nothing notable. If you scanned the complete Universe from Earth searching for objects at exactly one light year, 99.9% of the time you'd find nothing. You may find a hydrogen atom, or a piece of dust or even a piece of the hypothetical Oort cloud. It's a bit like asking what is one mile from my house?
Science says the universe is 12 to 14 billion years old because light from that far away has reached us but couldn't there be objects billions of light years further away?
Yes, current theory and observations suggest that the age of the universe is between 13.6 and 13.8 billion years (earth years).However please note that a light year is the distance a beam of light will travel in one earth year.
What is the relation between light years and people years?
Light-year is a physical measurement related to Universe Issues, and it comprises huge distances across the Universe. People's years is a measurement related to the lifespan, not only for humans but also for all living creatures. The difference is that People years is a measure only related to life, while light-years is not. The point is that a light year is a measure of distance NOT time. It does get people confused sometimes. It's how far light goes in a year.
Why were light years created?
Light years is a measurement of length (not time!), and was taken to use for the purpose of illustrating the wast distances in the galaxy and the universe. One light year is the distance in which light will travel during one year at the speed of Light ~3*10^8 m/s.
