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In part, the unit was introduced because at first, the ratios between different distances in the Solar System (such as, how far is each planet from the Sun) were known to a pretty good accuracy (thanks to Kepler's Laws), but the absolute distances themselves (say, in kilometers) were not. Therefore, such distances were expressed in multiples of Earth's distance from the Sun, as a convenient "yardstick". It is still very useful, to help visualize distances within the Solar System.

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8y ago
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8y ago

The Astronomical Unit (AU) for distance is simply the average distance from the earth to the sun. Many other measurement units used in astronomy are based on comparison with the sun: for example, solar masses for stars, an so on.

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Q: How did we come up with astronomical units?
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How far from the sun is all the plants?

Mercury--0.387 astronomical units Venus--0.723 astronomical units Earth--1.0 astronomical units Mars--1.524 astronomical units Jupiter--5.203 astronomical units Saturn--9.529 astronomical units Uranus--19.19 astronomical units Neptune--30.06 astronomical units Pluto--39.53 astronomical units Please note that these are all mean distances, and the actual distance will vary as to the location of the specific planet in its specific orbit.


What is 1.93 astronomical units in kilometers?

1.93 astronomical units is 288,723,890 kilometers.


How far is 0.82 astronomical units?

0.82 astronomical units is 122,670,254 kilometers.


How much is 29 astronomical units?

29 astronomical units = 4,338,338,250 kilometers.


How far is 4 astronomical units?

4 astronomical units = 371,822,485 miles


How far is 38 astronomical units?

38 astronomical units is about 5,684,719,086 kilometers.


How far is 39.5 astronomical units?

39.5 astronomical units equate to about 5,909,115,892 kilometers.


What is the conversion of light years to astronomical units?

1 light year = 63,240 Astronomical Units


How many centimeters is 9.5 Astronomical Units?

9.5 Astronomical Units = 1.421181 × 1014 centimeters


How many kilometers is 9.54 astronomical units?

1 astronomical unit is approximately 149.6 million kilometers. Therefore, 9.54 astronomical units is roughly 1.43 billion kilometers.


What is Mars' average distance from the sun in astronomical units in astronomical units?

Mars' average distance from the sun is about 1.52 astronomical units (AU), which is approximately 227.9 million kilometers.


How far is sedna from the sun in Astronomical Units?

Sedna's average distance from the sun is about 86 Astronomical Units.