Question

f) in vacuum, light travels at about 186,282 miles per second. One mile is about 161 kilometers (km). Astronomers prefer to use units of distance that are reasonable in describing how far objects are from Earth. For example, for distances in the solar system we use the astronomical unit (AU), which is equal to the average distance of Earth from the Sun; 1 AU is about 150 million km. For distances to stars and galaxies, astronomers use the light-year (1 ly), which is the distance that light travels in one year (0) How many miles is one light-year? () How many astronomical units is one light-year? (ii) How much time does it take for a signal to reach a satellite orbiting Jupiter, which is, at its closest, about 365 million miles away from Earth? Do you see why communications in space take a long time? (iv) If the Sun were to turn into a black hole (and therefore no light would escape from it), how long would it take for us to find out what happened? (v) The nearest star to Earth (besides the Sun) is Proxima Centauri, 4.2 light-years away. Assuming there is a civilization in orbit around the star, how long would it take to exchange a simple message with them? 24k 365 days The I see I day 2) 186,282 mi 60 s6e 60 . lyr = 5,874,589, 152,000 milyn ii) 5,874,589, 152,00 1.4 bir . 150,-, de

Answer 1

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Answer 2

The 186,282 figure is calculated as 1/2 of the total round trip speed of light in a vacuum.  It is assumed light travels at the same speed both ways.   This can not be proven as there is no way to sync clocks at both ends according to Einstiens's reativity.  It is possible light travels toward us instantanously and away from us at the measured speed.