answersLogoWhite

0

A light year is what?

Updated: 11/23/2021
User Avatar

Wiki User

7y ago

Best Answer

A light-year is the distance that light travels in a year. Light travels about 300,000 kilometers a second, so in a year, light will travel about 9.5 x 1012 kilometers (9.5 million million kilometers), or 9.5 x 1015 meters.

User Avatar

Janessa Nikolaus

Lvl 10
2y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

7y ago

A light year is a measure of distance, or the distance a particle of light will travel through a pure vacuum in one Earth year.

This distance is approximately 5.8785 x 1012 [5.87 trillion] miles, or 9.4605 x 1012 [9.46 trillion] kilometers.

In a vacuum, light travels at almost 300,000 kilometers per second (more than 186,000 miles every second) so in a minute it will travel 60 times this amount (as there are 60 seconds in a minute). In 1 hour (60 mins) it will travel 60 times thisamount. In 1 day (24 hrs) it will travel 24 times thisamount. In 1 year (365 days) it will travel 365 times thisamount. This amount is equivalent to almost 9.4605284 × 1012 kilometers or six million, million miles.

The nearest star (Proxima Centauri) is 4 1/4 light years away or approx. 25 million, million miles. The galaxy is 100,000 light years across The known universe is over 13 billion light years across. If a star is 10,000 light years away, we are seeing it today as it was 10,000 years ago - as the light that started out then is only just reaching us now. Similarly, if there were aliens looking at us through a powerful telescope on a planet 4 light years away, then they would just today be seeing what happened here 4 years ago.

The measurement of a light year is useful in finding distances to very distant objects, and as we're assuming that there is a pure vacuum between here and there, we can then determine how long ago, in Earth years, that light originated from its source. It is entirely possible that some of the stars we see from Earth are simply no longer there! A light year is a unit of distance. It is the distance that light can travel in one year. In one year, light can travel about 10 trillion km. One light-year is equal to 9,500,000,000,000 kilometers.
A light year is the distance covered by light in one year travelling at 186,000 miles per second.
Basically, a light year is the distance light would travel in a year. (Though I've often wondered what calender is used to define the length of the year, and has an adjustment been made for a leap year?)

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: A light year is what?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

Which unit of measurement represents the distance light travels in one year light-year or parsec?

"light-year"


who can anser me The distance light travels in a year is called?

The distance light travels in a year is called light-year


How many second in a light year?

A light year is a measure of distance, not time. A light year is the distance that light will travel in one year. One light second is 186,000 miles. A light year is a measure of distance, not time. A light year is the distance that light will travel in one year. One light second is 186,000 miles.


What is the value of light year?

A light year is how far light will travel in a vacuum in one single year(Julian) The Value of a light year is, 9,460,730,472,580.8Km.


What is the longest light year?

A light-year is a measure of distance that a photon of light will travel in one year .


How long is a light year what does a light year describe?

A light-year is the distance light can travel in one year. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. Multiply that by 3600 seconds in an hour and then by 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year and you will get the distance in one light-year.A light year is defined as 9,460,730,472,580,800 meters exactly, derivedfrom the distance that light travels in vacuum in one Julian year.


Does a calendar year equal a light year?

No. A light year is a unit of distance, not time. It is the distance light travels in a year.


How much is 1 light year in standard form?

The question should be How Long is a light year (in standard form) as a light year is the DISTANCE that light will travel in one year No...I'm not sure what a light year would be in a leap year.


Are light-years stars?

No. A light-year is a measurement. A light year is a distance measurement based on how far light travels in a year.


Is a light year 235 days?

No. A light year is a measure of distance, not time. It is how far light travels in a year.


Is a light year measured in energy produced?

No. A light year is a measure of distance. It is the distance light travels in a year.


What is the definition of the light year?

The light-year is the distance light travels in a year. Since this sometimes causes confusion, please note that a light-year is a unit of distance; NOT a unit of time. A light-year is approximately 9.5 x 1012 kilometers. (A light-year is defined to be exactly 9,460,730,472,580,800 metres.)