Y r the distances to the planets given in km, while the distances to stars & galaxies r given in light years?
I am really stumped on this quest. I think because the universe is so huge that it would be way too dificult to measure distances to stars and galaxies in km.
Your help will be appreciated, thanks
Unless a science teacher corrects us, your answer looks correct.
Thanks :-)
The distances to planets within our solar system are typically measured in kilometers (km) because they are relatively close to us compared to the distances to stars and galaxies. Our solar system is a relatively small part of the vast universe.
On the other hand, stars and galaxies are much farther away, and the distances between them are enormous. These distances are often measured in light years.
A light year is a unit of distance that represents the distance that light travels in one year in the vacuum of space, which is about 9.5 trillion kilometers (or roughly 5.9 trillion miles). Since light travels at a finite speed, it takes a certain amount of time for the light from distant objects to reach us on Earth. Therefore, when we look at stars or galaxies that are billions of light years away, we are seeing them as they were billions of years ago.
To measure the distances to stars and galaxies, astronomers use a variety of techniques, such as parallax, redshift, and standard candles. These methods allow them to calculate the approximate distances to these objects based on their observed characteristics and properties.
In summary, the distances to planets within our solar system are relatively small in comparison to the vast distances between stars and galaxies, which is why different units of measurement are used.