Light Year Definition

A light year is the distance that light travels in a year.

Light year definition. How can this be. Often light years informal a long. About 6 trillion miles. A light year helps us discuss.

Light year synonyms light year pronunciation light year translation english dictionary definition of light year. A light year is the distance light travels in one earth year. Light travels at a speed of 186 000 miles. Wikipedia lexilogos oxford cambridge chambers harrap wordreference collins lexibase dictionaries merriam webster.

Meaning pronunciation translations and examples. Search light year and thousands of other words in english cobuild dictionary from reverso. A light year is a measurement of distance and not time as the name might suggest. Light year definition the distance traversed by light in one mean solar year about 5 88 trillion mi.

When we use powerful telescopes to look at distant objects in space we are actually looking back in time. Because it includes the word year the term light year may be. A light year is the distance a beam of light travels in a single earth year or 6 trillion miles 9 7 trillion. The light year is a unit of length used to express astronomical distances and measures about 9 46 trillion kilometres 9 46 x 10 12 km or 5 88 trillion miles 5 88 x 10 12 mi.

That is a 6 with 12 zeros behind it. Danish scientist olaus roemer was the first to discover the speed of light. The distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year approximately 9 46 trillion kilometers. Used as a unit in measuring stellar distances.

Looking back in time. Light year definition is a unit of length in astronomy equal to the distance that light travels in one year in a vacuum or about 5 88 trillion miles 9 46 trillion kilometers. You can complete the definition of light year given by the english cobuild dictionary with other english dictionaries. As defined by the international astronomical union iau a light year is the distance that light travels in vacuum in one julian year 365 25 days.