Whole numbers or decimals are fine, if it's less than one.
2007-12-23 03:24:05 · 8 answers · asked by M 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It depends on how you decide where the edge of "the solar system" is. I can think of at least 4 good answers.
#1 Orbit of the farthest planet, Neptune
8.44 light-hours, or 0.000963 light-years
#2 Kuiper belt
approximately 15 light-hours, or 0.0017 light-years
#3 Termination Shock
approximately 22 light-hours or 0.0025 light-years
#4 Oort Cloud
approximately 1 light-year
When NASA talks about the Voyager Spacecraft "leaving the solar system", they usually are referring to #3 the Termination Shock. As a fraction, its diameter is approximately 1/400th of a light-year.
2007-12-23 05:50:37 · answer #1 · answered by dogwood_lock 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Diameter Of The Solar System
2016-11-16 16:09:48 · answer #2 · answered by corujo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you're referring the extent of the Sun's gravitational influence, it would be an approximate radius of 2LY (light years). That means the diameter of the solar system would be 4LY across - which would also be the distance to the nearest star system, the Centari star system. Anything within 2LY, that is not traveling at a speed to breakaway from the Sun's gravity, is part of our solar system. This includes the primary planets (Mercury to Neptune), the minor planets beyond Neptune, the Keipler Belt, the Ort Cloud, and all the comets that come from it. There could be other objects that we haven't discovered yet as well, such as other planets, perhaps a very dim brown dwarf, or something more exciting and mysterious. Sorry for any spelling errors - using my phone to submit this .
2016-02-06 14:29:17 · answer #3 · answered by David 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Solar System Radius
2017-01-01 04:58:46 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Distances at this level are measured in astronomical units, or AU's.One AU is the average distance of the earth to the sun, about 93 million miles. The Oort Cloud of comets is considered to be about 50,000 AU's from the sun. There are about 66,000 AU's in a light year, so including the Oort Cloud, the solar system is just a little less than two light years across. If you consider the solar system only out to Pluto, it would be less than 1/1000th of a light year.
2007-12-23 03:46:18 · answer #5 · answered by MVB 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
If you're talking about the planetary orbits, it's about 8 light hours. The extent of the Oort comet cloud is not known, but it MAY go as far as almost half way to the next star. That's nearly 2 light years, meaning 4 light years across if it's true.
2007-12-23 09:20:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
120 000 light years and not 123 light years
2015-07-26 03:54:16 · answer #7 · answered by Charbel 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
10 light hours
2007-12-23 03:42:57 · answer #8 · answered by freethinker 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The solar system is less than one but the galaxy is 123 light years across. That is a big black hole in the center of our galaxy to produce that kind of gravity.
2007-12-23 03:57:12 · answer #9 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 9⤋
FARTHER THAN I CAN RUN!
2015-01-07 08:48:00 · answer #10 · answered by Petronius 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋