Light year: Difference between revisions
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imported>ZachPruckowski (Going to fill in - I think examples will help convey the size of a light-year) |
imported>Joe Quick m (needs a be) |
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The '''light year''' (symbol: '''ly''') is the distance that the [[light]] travels in [[vacuum]] in one [[year]]. Although one might think that one [[year]] is defined as the time for the [[Earth]] to complete one revolution of its [[orbit]] of the Sun, there are still several definitions dependig on the frame of reference. According to the recommendations of the [[International Astronomical Union]] (IAU) the [[siderial year]] (the time between two succeeding, identical positions of the sun) shall be used. | The '''light year''' (symbol: '''ly''') is the distance that the [[light]] travels in [[vacuum]] in one [[year]]. Although one might think that one [[year]] is defined as the time for the [[Earth]] to complete one revolution of its [[orbit]] of the Sun, there are still several definitions dependig on the frame of reference. According to the recommendations of the [[International Astronomical Union]] (IAU) the [[siderial year]] (the time between two succeeding, identical positions of the sun) shall be used. | ||
The light year is a unit of distance larger than an [[astronomical unit]]. It is commonly used to measure interstellar distances, where other units of measure are too small. It is rarely used in interplanetary distances, because it is too large to useful. | The light year is a unit of distance larger than an [[astronomical unit]]. It is commonly used to measure interstellar distances, where other units of measure are too small. It is rarely used in interplanetary distances, because it is too large to be useful. | ||
== numerical value == | == numerical value == | ||
Revision as of 13:44, 13 September 2007
The light year (symbol: ly) is the distance that the light travels in vacuum in one year. Although one might think that one year is defined as the time for the Earth to complete one revolution of its orbit of the Sun, there are still several definitions dependig on the frame of reference. According to the recommendations of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) the siderial year (the time between two succeeding, identical positions of the sun) shall be used.
The light year is a unit of distance larger than an astronomical unit. It is commonly used to measure interstellar distances, where other units of measure are too small. It is rarely used in interplanetary distances, because it is too large to be useful.
numerical value
- velocity of light in vacuum: 2.99792456 * 108 meters/second
- one siderial year = 365.25 days = 31557600 s
- 1ly = 9.460730409 * 1015m