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astronomical unit
astronomical unit
Noun
pl: astronomical units
This term serves as a standard yardstick in planetary science, specifically defined as the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun. It is used to simplify the vast distances within a solar system, allowing astronomers to avoid using unwieldy numbers of kilometers or miles.
In a non-scientific, figurative context, the adjective "astronomical" is frequently used to describe prices, costs, or numbers that are unimaginably large. However, the full phrase "astronomical unit" is strictly a technical measurement and is not used metaphorically.
Meanings
Related Words
astronomydistanceorbitSunEarthplanetsolar systemperihelionaphelioneccentricityparseckilometermilemetermeasurementscalemagnitudegravityNewtonheliocentricgeocentricastrometrycelestialvoidvacuumspacecosmosuniversestarasteroidcometmeteorsatellitemoonMarsVenusJupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePlutoparallaxbaselineanglearcsecondradianvelocityspeedtrajectoryellipsecircleradiusdiametercircumferenceepochcoordinateeclipticzenithnadirhorizontelescopeobservatoryspectroscopyphotometryastrophysicscosmologyinterplanetaryinterstellargalacticluminositymassdensityvolumeinertiamomentumforceenergyradiationphotonplasmagasdust