Convert astronomical unit to light year
Please provide values below to convert astronomical unit [AU, UA] to light year [ly], or Convert light year to astronomical unit.
How to Convert Astronomical Unit to Light Year
1 AU, UA = 1.5812507409822e-05 ly
Example: convert 15 AU, UA to ly:
15 AU, UA = 15 × 1.5812507409822e-05 ly = 0.00023718761114733 ly
Astronomical Unit to Light Year Conversion Table
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Astronomical Unit
The astronomical unit is a unit of length, now defined as exactly 149,597,870,700 meters. It is approximately the average distance between the Earth and the Sun.
History/Origin
Historically, the astronomical unit was the mean Earth-Sun distance. In 2012, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefined it as a fixed constant.
Current Use
The astronomical unit is used primarily for measuring distances within the Solar System or around other stars.
Light Year
A light-year is the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one Julian year.
History/Origin
The concept of the light-year as a unit of distance in astronomy emerged in the mid-19th century. The first recorded use of the term was in a German astronomical publication in 1851.
Current Use
The light-year is used to express distances to stars and other astronomical objects on a galactic and intergalactic scale, especially in popular science and non-specialist contexts.