answersLogoWhite

0

First of all, let's pick something to be the end of the solar system, so that we can agree

on what's in and what's out.

For our first estimate, let's say everything that's double the distance to Pluto is "in".

Pluto's average distance from the sun is listed as 5.91 billion km. Double that is 11.82 billion km

from the sun all around, or a circle that's 23.64 billion km across. The speed of light is 300 million

meters per second. So the diameter of that circle is

23.64 x 1012 / 3 x 108 = 7.88 x 104 light-seconds = 21.9 light-hours = 0.0025 light-years

===========================================

But don't go away. We have to do that calculation one more time.

Just to get an idea of whether our estimate of double-Pluto's-distance is reasonable, we

looked into the TIME/Britannica Almanac 2010, and we were shocked ! This reference says

that the "Oort Cloud" ... a giant spherical cloud of icy, comet-like bodies ... is thought to

orbit the sun at distances out to 1,000 times the orbit of Pluto. If that's true, then we

have to revise our calculation drastically.

Average distance to Pluto: 5.91 billion km

Radius of the Oort Cloud: 5,910 billion km

Diameter of the solar system including the Oort Cloud: 11,820 billion km

Speed of light = 300 million meters per second

Diameter of the solar system at light speed:

1.182 x 1016 / 3 x 108 = 3.94 x 107 light-seconds = 456 light-days = 1.25 light-year

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Astronomy

What is the width of our solar system?

The width of our solar system is difficult to define precisely as it extends far beyond the orbit of Pluto, which is about 7.5 billion kilometers from the Sun. If we consider the distance to the outermost edge of the Oort Cloud, a theoretical sphere of comets that is estimated to be at least 1 light-year away, the width of the solar system would be much larger.


To measure the width of your solar system you use what?

To measure the width of the solar system, astronomers use astronomical units (AU) as a common distance measurement. One astronomical unit is the average distance from Earth to the sun, approximately 93 million miles. This unit helps provide a scale for understanding distances within our solar system.


Which space probe has left the solar system?

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have both left the heliosphere, but neither has left the solar system. The edge of the solar system is considered to be the outer boundary of the Oort Cloud, The exact width of the Oort Cloud is not known, but its estimated that it would take Voyager 2 about 300 years to reach the inner boundary of it. To reach the outer boundary of the Oort Cloud, truly leaving the solar system, would take Voyager 2 something like 30,000 years.


How little can solar panels be?

Solar panels can vary in size, but for residential use, a solar panel can typically be around 3 feet by 5 feet. The smallest portable solar panels for charging small devices can be as small as a few inches in width and length.


What is the largest and tallest volcanic mountain in the universe?

We know just about nothing about the rest of our universe, but the largest volcano in our Solar System is Olympus Mons on the planet Mars. Olympus Mons is 3 times higher than Mt Everest, Earth's tallest mountain above sea level, and in width could cover the entire Hawaiian island chain.

Related Questions

What is the width of our solar system?

The width of our solar system is difficult to define precisely as it extends far beyond the orbit of Pluto, which is about 7.5 billion kilometers from the Sun. If we consider the distance to the outermost edge of the Oort Cloud, a theoretical sphere of comets that is estimated to be at least 1 light-year away, the width of the solar system would be much larger.


To measure the width of your solar system you use what?

To measure the width of the solar system, astronomers use astronomical units (AU) as a common distance measurement. One astronomical unit is the average distance from Earth to the sun, approximately 93 million miles. This unit helps provide a scale for understanding distances within our solar system.


What is Neptune width?

Thew width of Neptune is exactly 72.9m long


Why is the sun the biggest thing in your Solar System?

Actually the Sun is not the largest thing in our Solar System. Jupiters Magnetosphere is. I believe around 10x the width of the sun. The Magnetosphere, much like the one that surrounds the Earth, protects Jupiter from Solar Wind and its harmful effects.


How long in width is olympus mons?

Olympus Mons on Mars has a diameter of about 370 miles (600 kilometers), making it the largest volcano in the solar system.


Is miles used to measure distance in space?

No. Short distances (the width of a planet) are measured in kilometers. Distances from one place to another in our solar system are measured in Astronomical Units (AU), one AU being 93 million miles. Longer distances outside our solar system are popularly measured in light years, Alpha Centauri is 4.2 light years away, for example, but note I said "popularly". Astronomers use the term "parsecs" when speaking of interstellar distances (one parsec is 3.26 light years).


What does the solar system consist of 33?

The solar system consists of the sun, eight planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune), their moons, dwarf planets (such as Pluto), asteroids, comets, and other small bodies like meteoroids. Gravitational forces and the sun's magnetic field hold the solar system together.


How big is a solar cell?

A solar cell will vary in length, width, and weight. Solar cells were first used in 1873 by an inventor named Charles Fritts.


Is there a maximum perimeter and area obtainable?

No, because a shape has no limit to it's length or width. For example, a square can be tinier than plankton while another square is bigger than our solar system.


What is the metric system for measuring width?

Width is a length or distance. The unit of length is the meter.


Which space probe has left the solar system?

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have both left the heliosphere, but neither has left the solar system. The edge of the solar system is considered to be the outer boundary of the Oort Cloud, The exact width of the Oort Cloud is not known, but its estimated that it would take Voyager 2 about 300 years to reach the inner boundary of it. To reach the outer boundary of the Oort Cloud, truly leaving the solar system, would take Voyager 2 something like 30,000 years.


What date and country did voyager probe go out of the solar system?

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have both left the heliosphere, but neither has left the solar system. The edge of the solar system is considered to be the outer boundary of the Oort Cloud, The exact width of the Oort Cloud is not known, but its estimated that it would take Voyager 2 about 300 years to reach the inner boundary of it. To reach the outer boundary of the Oort Cloud, truly leaving the solar system, would take Voyager 2 something like 30,000 years.