![]() ![]() Parsecs, along with most other measurements of space and time in Star Wars most likely derive from Coruscant, the cradle of human civilisation and earliest explorers of the Galaxy. So, as Star Wars happens in a galaxy far far away, why are they using the average distance between Earth and the Sun as a distance of measure and how do they know it? It is also a fundamental component in the definition of another unit of astronomical length, the parsec. The astronomical unit is used primarily for measuring distances within the Solar System or around other stars. Originally conceived as the average of Earth's aphelion and perihelion, since 2012 it has been defined as exactly 1.495978707×10 11 m. However, that distance varies as Earth orbits the Sun, from a maximum (aphelion) to a minimum (perihelion) and back again once a year. ![]() ![]() The astronomical unit (symbol: au, ua, or AU) is a unit of length, roughly the distance from Earth to the Sun and equal to about 150 million kilometres (93 million miles). 1/3600th of a degree.įrom Wikipedia Article on Astronomical Unit: A parsec is obtained by the use of parallax and trigonometry, and is defined as the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond, i.e. The parsec (symbol: pc) is a unit of length used to measure the large distances to astronomical objects outside the Solar System. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |