2006-06-26 05:34:55 · 23 answers · asked by juanalbertocespedes 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
A light-year is a unit of distance. It is the distance that light can travel in one year. Light moves at a velocity of about 300,000 kilometers (km) each second. So in one year, it can travel about 10 trillion km. More p recisely, one light-year is equal to 9,500,000,000,000 kilometers.
Why would you want such a big unit of distance? Well, on Earth, a kilometer may be just fine. It is a few hundred kilometers from New York City to Washington, DC; it is a few thousand kilometers from California to Maine. In the Universe, the kilometer is just too small to be useful. For example, the distance to the next nearest big galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy, is 21 quintillion km. That's 21,000,000,000,000,000,000 km. This is a number so large that it becomes hard to write and hard to interpret. So astronomers use other units of distance.
2006-06-26 05:39:45 · answer #1 · answered by Orls 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A light year is a measurement of distance based on how far light goes in one year, under the assumption that light goes at the fastest possible speed of anything measured. The sun is a few light minutes away for instance. Light moves at a constant speed.
2006-06-26 05:41:30 · answer #2 · answered by too_live_forever 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A light year is a distance measurement
It is about 6 trillion miles
the sun is around 8 light minutes from the earth
2006-06-26 05:40:39 · answer #3 · answered by salforddude 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A light year is a term describing the distance of an object. It means the amount of years it would take to reach a point travelling over 297,000 miles per second, or at the speed of light.
2006-06-26 05:41:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
thats a trick question there arent any years in a light year, a light year is a measurement of distance not time, its the distance light travels in one year, sorry cant be more specific on the actual distance but find and accurate measurement of how fast light travels and how long a year is and multiply the two to find out how far it is
2006-06-26 05:41:03 · answer #5 · answered by Ralphie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One light year is the distance that light will travel in one year.
2006-06-26 05:41:19 · answer #6 · answered by Pearlsawme 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
None, a light year is a measurement of length. It's the distance light travels in a year's time, assuming no dilation, as far as I know.
2006-06-26 14:09:33 · answer #7 · answered by Rachel P 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A light year is how far light travels in a year...It's not a unit of time.
2006-06-26 09:00:28 · answer #8 · answered by trancevanbuuren 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as reported previously.....but I am a point whore.
A light year (LY) is not a unit of time, but rather a unit of distance. Just as there are Light Minutes, light hours and light seconds. All have to do with how far light will travel in than measure of time.
2006-06-26 08:52:04 · answer #9 · answered by joseFFF 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not a amount of time, but the distance light travels in a year. Light travels 186,000 miles in a second and 6 trillion miles in a year. So, a lightyear is 6 trillion miles. I hope this helps!
2006-06-26 05:42:05 · answer #10 · answered by Dr. Doom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋