astronomical unit | 1 AU | 2 AU | 3 AU | 4 AU | 5 AU | 6 AU | 7 AU | 8 AU | 9 AU | 10 AU | 11 AU | 12 AU | 13 AU | 14 AU | 15 AU | 16 AU | 17 AU | 18 AU | 19 AU | 20 AU | 21 AU | 22 AU | 23 AU | 24 AU | 25 AU | 26 AU | 27 AU | 28 AU | 29 AU | 30 AU | 31 AU | 32 AU | 33 AU | 34 AU | 35 AU | 36 AU | 37 AU | 38 AU | 39 AU | 40 AU | 41 AU | 42 AU | 43 AU | 44 AU | 45 AU | 46 AU | 47 AU | 48 AU | 49 AU | 50 AU | 51 AU | 52 AU | 53 AU | 54 AU | 55 AU | 56 AU | 57 AU | 58 AU | 59 AU | 60 AU | 61 AU | 62 AU | 63 AU | 64 AU | 65 AU | 66 AU | 67 AU | 68 AU | 69 AU | 70 AU | 71 AU | 72 AU | 73 AU | 74 AU | 75 AU | 76 AU | 77 AU | 78 AU | 79 AU | 80 AU | 81 AU | 82 AU | 83 AU | 84 AU | 85 AU | 86 AU | 87 AU | 88 AU | 89 AU | 90 AU | 91 AU | 92 AU | 93 AU | 94 AU | 95 AU | 96 AU | 97 AU | 98 AU | 99 AU | 100 AU |
light-second | 499.0047838 light-second | 998.0095677 light-second | 1,497.0143515 light-second | 1,996.0191353 light-second | 2,495.0239192 light-second | 2,994.0287030 light-second | 3,493.0334869 light-second | 3,992.0382707 light-second | 4,491.0430545 light-second | 4,990.0478384 light-second | 5,489.0526222 light-second | 5,988.0574060 light-second | 6,487.0621899 light-second | 6,986.0669737 light-second | 7,485.0717575 light-second | 7,984.0765414 light-second | 8,483.0813252 light-second | 8,982.0861091 light-second | 9,481.0908929 light-second | 9,980.0956767 light-second | 10,479.1004606 light-second | 10,978.1052444 light-second | 11,477.1100282 light-second | 11,976.1148121 light-second | 12,475.1195959 light-second | 12,974.1243797 light-second | 13,473.1291636 light-second | 13,972.1339474 light-second | 14,471.1387312 light-second | 14,970.1435151 light-second | 15,469.1482989 light-second | 15,968.1530828 light-second | 16,467.1578666 light-second | 16,966.1626504 light-second | 17,465.1674343 light-second | 17,964.1722181 light-second | 18,463.1770019 light-second | 18,962.1817858 light-second | 19,461.1865696 light-second | 19,960.1913534 light-second | 20,459.1961373 light-second | 20,958.2009211 light-second | 21,457.2057050 light-second | 21,956.2104888 light-second | 22,455.2152726 light-second | 22,954.2200565 light-second | 23,453.2248403 light-second | 23,952.2296241 light-second | 24,451.2344080 light-second | 24,950.2391918 light-second | 25,449.2439756 light-second | 25,948.2487595 light-second | 26,447.2535433 light-second | 26,946.2583272 light-second | 27,445.2631110 light-second | 27,944.2678948 light-second | 28,443.2726787 light-second | 28,942.2774625 light-second | 29,441.2822463 light-second | 29,940.2870302 light-second | 30,439.2918140 light-second | 30,938.2965978 light-second | 31,437.3013817 light-second | 31,936.3061655 light-second | 32,435.3109494 light-second | 32,934.3157332 light-second | 33,433.3205170 light-second | 33,932.3253009 light-second | 34,431.3300847 light-second | 34,930.3348685 light-second | 35,429.3396524 light-second | 35,928.3444362 light-second | 36,427.3492200 light-second | 36,926.3540039 light-second | 37,425.3587877 light-second | 37,924.3635715 light-second | 38,423.3683554 light-second | 38,922.3731392 light-second | 39,421.3779231 light-second | 39,920.3827069 light-second | 40,419.3874907 light-second | 40,918.3922746 light-second | 41,417.3970584 light-second | 41,916.4018422 light-second | 42,415.4066261 light-second | 42,914.4114099 light-second | 43,413.4161937 light-second | 43,912.4209776 light-second | 44,411.4257614 light-second | 44,910.4305453 light-second | 45,409.4353291 light-second | 45,908.4401129 light-second | 46,407.4448968 light-second | 46,906.4496806 light-second | 47,405.4544644 light-second | 47,904.4592483 light-second | 48,403.4640321 light-second | 48,902.4688159 light-second | 49,401.4735998 light-second | 49,900.4783836 light-second |
The astronomical unit (symbol: au or ua) is a unit of length, roughly the distance from Earth to the Sun. However, that distance varies as Earth orbits the Sun, from a maximum (aphelion) to a minimum (perihelion) and back again once a year. Originally conceived as the average of Earth's aphelion and perihelion, it is now defined as exactly 149 597 870 700 metres (about 150 million kilometres, or 93 million miles). The astronomical unit is used primarily as a convenient yardstick for measuring distances within the Solar System or around other stars. However, it is also a fundamental component in the definition of another unit of astronomical length, the parsec.
Name of unit | Symbol | Definition | Relation to SI units | Unit System |
---|---|---|---|---|
astronomical unit | AU | ≡ 149 597 870 700 m ≈ Distance from Earth to Sun | ≡ 149 597 870 700 m | Science - Astronomy (Length) |
astronomical units | light-seconds | astronomical units | light-seconds |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ≡ 499.00478383616 | 4 | ≡ 1996.0191353446 |
1.5 | ≡ 748.50717575423 | 4.5 | ≡ 2245.5215272627 |
2 | ≡ 998.00956767231 | 5 | ≡ 2495.0239191808 |
2.5 | ≡ 1247.5119595904 | 5.5 | ≡ 2744.5263110989 |
3 | ≡ 1497.0143515085 | 6 | ≡ 2994.0287030169 |
The light-second is a unit of length useful in astronomy, telecommunications and relativistic physics. It is defined as the distance that light travels in free space in onesecond, and is equal to exactly 299792458 metres (just over 186282 miles).
Name of unit | Symbol | Definition | Relation to SI units | Unit System |
---|---|---|---|---|
light-second | ≡ Distance light travels in one second in vacuum | ≡ 299 792 458 m | Science - Astronomy (Length) |
light-seconds | astronomical units | light-seconds | astronomical units |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ≡ 0.0020039888041 | 4 | ≡ 0.0080159552164 |
1.5 | ≡ 0.00300598320615 | 4.5 | ≡ 0.00901794961845 |
2 | ≡ 0.0040079776082 | 5 | ≡ 0.0100199440205 |
2.5 | ≡ 0.00500997201025 | 5.5 | ≡ 0.01102193842255 |
3 | ≡ 0.0060119664123 | 6 | ≡ 0.0120239328246 |
astronomical units | light-seconds |
---|---|
1 | ≡ 499.0047838 |
0.0020040 | ≡ 1 |
Symbol | Definition |
---|---|
≡ | exactly equal |
≈ | approximately equal to |
= | equal to |
digits | indicates that digits repeat infinitely (e.g. 8.294 369 corresponds to 8.294 369 369 369 369 …) |