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Use "Astronomical UNit" or AU when discussing distances within the solar system. Use "light year" when talking about the distances between stars.

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How may miles in an astronomical unit?

Very nearly a light year, since a light year is 63,239.6717 AU. That's very nearly the same ratio as the difference between an inch and a mile (a factor of 63,360). "Give 'em an AU, they'll take a light year."An AU or astronomical unit is the average distance between the Earth and the sun. It is a unit used to measure distances within the solar system. A light year is the distance light travels in a year and is much larger than an AU. Light years are used to measure distances between stars and galaxies. A light year is about 63,000 AU.


What is the unit of measurement you use when dealing with traveling from galaxy to galaxy?

AU or Light year.When dealing with distances from one galaxy to the next, the AU or astronomical Unit and the light year are both used. The AU is the distance between the Earth and the sun or 93 million miles. The light year is how far light travels in one year, or 4.126 trillion miles.AU or Light Year.When ur talking about measuring something outside of our solar system then u would use Light years but when u r talking about inside our solar system then you would use AU's. Light years tells us how far light travels in a year. Light travels 150,000,000 km or 93,000,000 miles. AU measures the distance between the sun and earth which is 150 million miles or 93 million kilometers.


Which planet has the shorter travel time in light years Jupiter or venus?

To start off, a light year is not a unit of time, it is a unit of distance; it is the distance that light travels in a year. Jupiter has a longer orbit than Venus, regardless of what unit of time you use.


Do you use meters to measure the distance between stars?

Yes, astronomers use light-years to measure the distance between stars in space. A light-year is the distance that light travels in one year, which is about 9.46 trillion kilometers or 5.88 trillion miles. This unit of measurement is more practical given the vast distances in space.


What measurement do you use for long distances in outerspace?

You can use astronomical units or light years.

Related Questions

Is it true a light year is a unit of time?

Yes, indeed it is. An astronomical unit is 8.3 light minutes. So light years are indeed a unit of time used in space, but not in our solar system, because our solar system is not big enough to use light hours. An astronomical unit, by the way, is the distance from the sun to Earth.


How would you use an atronomical unit?

The astronomical unit is the mean distance from Earth to Sun. It is commonly used for distances in the Solar System. This way, it is easier to imagine the distances, since the meter or kilometer are very small units (an astronomical unit is about 150 million km, or 150 billion meters), and the light year and the parsec are very large units (a light-year is about 63,000 astronomical units, the parsec is even larger). Light-minutes or light-hours might be used instead, within the Solar System, but the astronomical unit has become quite popular.


An astronomical measure of distance is called?

Astronomers commonly use the unit of measurement called a "light-year" to describe vast distances in space. One light-year is the distance that light travels in one year, approximately 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers.


What is the basic unit of distance for science?

fro science astronomical units are used.BUt we use light year as a unit of science for distance


Use astronomical unit in a sentence?

Earth is one astronomical unit away from the sun.


What is the unit of measurement you use in your solar system?

the units used are light seconds, minutes, hours and astronomical units.


When do you use a light year?

You don't use it, it is a unit of measurement.


When do you use a light-year?

You don't use it, it is a unit of measurement.


How do scienist us astronomical units?

The purpose of using astronomical units by Astronomers is mainly to make comparisons about the distance between all celestial bodies that they can detect and study. This include galaxies. The main astronomical unit is the Light year. The calculation of astronomical distance involves highly complex mathematical formulas.


How do I use astronomical unit in a sentence?

An Astronomical Unit is the distance between Earth and the Sun and is used as a measurement unit for measuring the distances of other objects from Earth.


What are the types of distance units that astronomers use?

For small distances, e.g. Earth to Moon, scientists use miles of kilometers. For larger distances, e.g. the orbit diameter of Jupiter, they use the "AU" or Astronomical Unit, which is the distance from the Sun to Earth. For enormous distances, astronomers use the lightyear, which, although it sounds like a time unit, is truly a distance unit. A lightyear is the distance light travels in one year, or 5.87849981 × 1012 miles. Another unit for large distances is the Parsec, which is 3.26 lightyears.


How may miles in an astronomical unit?

Very nearly a light year, since a light year is 63,239.6717 AU. That's very nearly the same ratio as the difference between an inch and a mile (a factor of 63,360). "Give 'em an AU, they'll take a light year."An AU or astronomical unit is the average distance between the Earth and the sun. It is a unit used to measure distances within the solar system. A light year is the distance light travels in a year and is much larger than an AU. Light years are used to measure distances between stars and galaxies. A light year is about 63,000 AU.