An astronomical unit (AU) is equal to the average distance from Earth to the Sun, about 92.9 ×10

step 1 So here in this question 1 parsec is the distance at which a length of one astronomical unit wou

An astronomical unit (AU) is equal to the average distance...

An astronomical unit $(\mathrm{AU})$ is equal to the average distance from Earth to the Sun, about $92.9 \times 10^{6}$ mi. A parsec $(\mathrm{pc})$ is the distance at which a length of 1 $\mathrm{AU}$ would subtend an angle of exactly 1 second of are (Fig. $1-8 ) .$ A light-year (ly) is the distance that light, traveling through a vacuum with a speed of $186000 \mathrm{mi} / \mathrm{s},$ would cover in 1.0 year. Express the Earth-Sun distance in $(\mathrm{a})$ parsecs and (b) light-years.

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Key Concepts

Astronomical Unit

An astronomical unit (AU) is a fundamental distance unit in astronomy that represents the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. It provides a useful scale for measuring distances within our solar system, and it serves as a baseline for comparing and converting other astronomical distances, which are often much larger.

Parsec

A parsec is a unit of distance used in astronomy that is defined using the method of parallax. It is the distance at which an object would have a parallax angle of one arcsecond when observed from two different positions in Earth's orbit around the Sun. Parsecs are commonly used to express distances between stars and galaxies.

Light-Year

A light-year is the distance that light travels in a vacuum over the course of one year. It is an essential unit in astronomy for describing vast interstellar and intergalactic distances. This unit bridges concepts of time and space, illustrating how the speed of light can be used to measure enormous distances in the universe.

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