2006-12-06 11:47:20 · 6 answers · asked by blahh 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
There's only one light year like there's only one mile. It's a length and is equal to the distance light travels in a year. There can't be multiple examples.
2006-12-06 11:50:00 · answer #1 · answered by Gene 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Light travels at approximately 186,000 miles per second which after a little math translates to roughly 6 trillion miles that light can travel in one year. But eugene is correct, there is only one example of a light year because its a measurement used by astronomers to calculate enormous distances.
2006-12-06 19:55:29 · answer #2 · answered by Ray H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The light year is used like a "mileage" signpost for distant stars and galaxies.
Kind of like a road sign that says "New York - 150 miles".
For astronomers, a road sign might be:
Alpha Centauri (closest star) - 4.3 light years
Sirius (brightest star) - 8 lightyears
Andromeda Galaxy - 2 billion lightyears
2006-12-06 21:35:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A light year is the distance light travels in a year, and is equal to approximately 9460528400000 kilometers. Our galaxy is about 100000 light years wide, and the closest star to the Sun, Alpha Centauri, is about 4.5 light years away.
2006-12-06 19:52:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Light circles the earth nearly 8 times in every second.
It would take the space shuttle nearly 40000 years to travel 1 light year.
It would take light 100,000 years to cross our galaxy.
2006-12-06 20:00:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A light year is a unit of measure, equal to the distance that light travels in one year. Since light travels 186,282 miles every second (299,792.458 km/sec)
that means a light year is
460,730,472,580.8 km
or
about 5,878,625,373,183.61 statute miles
2006-12-06 19:53:45 · answer #6 · answered by ~XenoFluX 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋