Astronomical distance Crossword Clue

The crossword clue "Astronomical distance" with the answer "PARSEC" refers to a unit of measurement used in astronomy to express vast distances between celestial objects. A parsec is defined as the distance at which one astronomical unit (the average distance from the Earth to the Sun) subtends an angle of one arcsecond.

This measurement is equivalent to approximately 3.26 light-years, making it a practical unit for measuring distances to stars and galaxies beyond our solar system. The term "parsec" is derived from the combination of "parallax" and "arcsecond," reflecting the method used to determine stellar distances through observations of parallax shifts.

The crossword clue "Astronomical distance" with the answer "KILOPARSEC" refers to a unit of measurement used in astronomy to quantify large distances between celestial objects.

A kiloparsec (kpc) is equivalent to 1,000 parsecs, where one parsec is approximately 3.26 light-years or about 19 trillion miles (31 trillion kilometers). Kiloparsecs are particularly useful for measuring distances to galaxies and other astronomical structures that are situated far beyond our solar system.

The crossword clue "Astronomical distance" with the answer "MEGA PARSEC" refers to a unit of measurement used in astronomy to express extremely large distances between celestial objects. A megaparsec (Mpc) is equivalent to one million parsecs, where one parsec is approximately 3.26 light-years or about 19 trillion miles (31 trillion kilometers).

This unit is particularly useful for measuring the distances between galaxies and galaxy clusters, which can be billions of light-years apart. For example, the distance to the Andromeda Galaxy, our nearest spiral galaxy, is approximately 0.78 megaparsecs.

The crossword clue "Astronomical distance" with the answer "ASTRONOMICAL UNIT" refers to a standard unit of measurement used in astronomy to describe distances within our solar system. An astronomical unit (AU) is defined as the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, approximately 93 million miles or about 150 million kilometers.

This unit provides a convenient way to express and compare distances to planets, asteroids, and other celestial bodies in relation to the distance from Earth to the Sun. For instance, Mars is about 1.52 AU from the Sun, while Jupiter is roughly 5.2 AU away.