How far is a light year, and would it take a year to get there??

Answer 1

a light year is the distance travelled by light in one year, viz;In metric units, c is exactly 299,792,458 metres per second or 1,079,252,848.8 kilometres per hour. Note that this speed is a definition, not a measurement, since the fundamental SI unit of length, the metre, has been defined since October 21, 1983 in terms of the speed of light—one metre is the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. Converted to imperial units, the speed of light is approximately 186,282.397 miles per second, or 670,616,629.384 miles per hour.

then we need to do some math. 24hrs x 365days x 670,616,629.384MPH = (very big number, and im sure you can operate a calculator!) and no, it wouldnt take us a year to get there, light is a wee bit faster then anything we have at the moment... ok, perspective; light from the sun takes around 8 minutes to get here, barnards star (our neighbour is 4 light years away, or, it takes light, 4 years to make the journey)

5874601672878240 miles in a lighyear

and mars is a four year round trip, and thats the next planet... and if you get good marks on your homework,i want a credit!, however i may be a total nutter, so you check my figures, use google as a reference point, which is all i did. good luck

Answer 2

I should point out a slight correction to most of the previous answers.
It takes light a year to travel a light year but if you are travelling at the speed of light then time ceases to exist so the entire concept of travel becomes meaningless.
At any sensible speed it would take a stupildy long time to travel a light year. It is about 1000000000000 Km, doing a quick calculation shows that it would take something like 300000000 years to walk this far. Somewhat less by car but still a VERY long way.

Answer 3

One Light Year is a the distance travalled by LIGHT in one year.

Speed of Light is 3 x 10^8 m/s = 108 x 10^7 km/hr

Answer 4

A light year is the distance travelled by light in one year. Mathematically, it can be calculated as follows:

Velocity of light = 300000000 meters/second = 30000km per sec.
So, in 60 seconds (1 minute), it travels (60 x 30,000)km. In 60 minute (1 hour) it travels (60 x 60 x 30,000)km. In 24 hour (1 day) it travels (24 x 60 x 60 x 30,000)km. Further, in 365 days (1 year) it travels (365 x 24 x 60 x 60 x 30,000) kilometers. Pretty far, eh?

Answer 5

Every one answer,s is correct. Travelling at the speed of light it will take just one year to finish the distance one light year.

Answer 6

It is a method of measurement of how long it takes light to get from the Sun to Earth. Would take lots longer than a year.

Answer 7

It would take exactly a year to get there if you travel at the speed of light (186000 m/s). So you'll never get there. Its how far light travels in a year.

Answer 8

It is the distance travelled by light in one year. It is very very far away. Light only takes 8.5 minutes to reach us from the sun. I light year is equal to travelling 301917 trips to and from sun to earth!!! Numerically it is equal to 9460800000000 m.

Answer 9

a light year is the distance light travels in a vacuum in one terrestrial year. It would take much longer to get there unless you could travel as fast as light, then it would take one year.

Answer 10

A light year is just under 9.5 trillion km. Travelling in the space shuttle, whose speed in orbit is roughly 28,250 km/h, it would take around 38,300 years to go that far.