Home
Back
Conversion Formula:
| From: | To: |
The conversion from kilometers to astronomical units (AU) is used in astronomy to express distances within our solar system. One astronomical unit is defined as the average distance from the Earth to the Sun, approximately 149.6 million kilometers.
The calculator uses the conversion formula:
Where:
Explanation: This formula converts distances measured in kilometers to the astronomical unit scale used for measuring interplanetary distances.
Details: Astronomical units provide a convenient scale for measuring distances within our solar system. They are particularly useful for expressing planetary orbits, spacecraft trajectories, and interplanetary distances in more manageable numbers.
Tips: Enter the distance in kilometers. The value must be positive. The calculator will automatically convert it to astronomical units with high precision.
Q1: What exactly is an astronomical unit?
A: An astronomical unit (AU) is a unit of length equal to about 149.6 million kilometers, approximately the distance from Earth to the Sun.
Q2: Why use AU instead of kilometers for astronomical distances?
A: AU provides more manageable numbers for solar system distances. For example, Jupiter's distance from the Sun is about 5.2 AU instead of 778 million kilometers.
Q3: How accurate is the conversion factor?
A: The conversion uses the internationally accepted value of 149,597,870.7 km, but 149,600,000 km is commonly used for general calculations and provides sufficient accuracy for most applications.
Q4: What are some common distances in AU?
A: Mercury: 0.39 AU, Venus: 0.72 AU, Earth: 1.00 AU, Mars: 1.52 AU, Jupiter: 5.20 AU, Saturn: 9.58 AU.
Q5: Is AU used outside our solar system?
A: For interstellar distances, light-years and parsecs are more commonly used as AU becomes too small a unit for meaningful measurement.