2006-11-21 06:04:02 · 32 answers · asked by Tink 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I thought it would be good for my grandson to ask his question on here, I can`t believe some of you have branded his question as thick he is nine years old, you should be ashamed of yourselves. To all other replies thank you very much for your time and research.
2006-11-22 05:34:37 · update #1
You are right, they are being unkind; it is a perfectly acceptable question.
A light year is the distance light travels in one year. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, there are 31,536,000 seconds in a year, so a light year is 5,865,696,000,000 miles (I think the maths is right).
A light year can be broken into any portion of a year you want - light months (there are twelve, as you would expect), light days, light hours, light minutes, light seconds - note the light from the Sun takes eight minutes to reach the Earth, so the Sun is said to be eight light minutes away.
These measures are largely used for space stuff - the distances are so huge nothing else works eg, the Milky Way is some 100,000 light years across. Try putting that into miles!
Always remember though that this is a measure of distance and nothing to do with time (until you get into the General Theory of Relativity and Einstien is a bit much for here).
Hope this helps.
2006-11-29 02:44:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2006-11-21 06:17:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2006-11-21 06:14:56 · answer #3 · answered by star ray 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because a light year is a measure of disance that light travels in one year the correct answer would be 12 months, However that would also depend whether or not you are actually onboard a craft that is moving that fast, or here on earth waiting for it to return after it left. See Einsteins theory of relativity. The faster you move the more time slows down for you, you can really delve into this question a lot deeper but my brain hurts after answering so many questions tonight.
2006-11-25 16:34:51 · answer #4 · answered by eqruluan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2006-11-21 06:13:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
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2006-11-21 06:05:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
A light year is both a measurement of time and distance. Light travels at approximately 120 thousand miles per second and a light year equals how far it can travel in one Earth year. A light month is how far it can travel in a month and there are twelve months in an Earth year.
2006-11-21 06:17:40 · answer #7 · answered by LuvFlwr 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a light year is not about time, its about distance, one year is twelve months as you know, but if you have a beam of light, lets say it travels at one mile an hour, i know its a lot faster but lets keep it simple
so you have this little beam of light wandering through space a t one mile an hour, just going along happy, no worrys, la de da de da, im a beam of light, i Wonder how far i can travel in say 8760 hours, which is how many hours there are in a year, and that distance is a light year, i n this case one light year would be 8760 miles. I hope i havn,t confused you, i think Ive confused myself though, not sure of the proper speed of light, but i now its faster than a chicken, passing KFC, little humer to help it stick, i hope your not a vegaterian if you are sorry.
2006-11-21 18:23:58 · answer #8 · answered by bear mare 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are 12 months in a Light Year.
There are 365 and 1/4 Days in a Light Year.
Light does not take a vacation for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Light does not get a Summer or Spring Break. It keeps right on
moving alonf at 186,000 miles per second.
2006-11-21 06:21:55 · answer #9 · answered by zahbudar 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A light year is just the distance light travels in one year - so 12 months.
2006-11-21 09:48:58 · answer #10 · answered by Hello Dave 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋