Here's how we get there:

* Move the decimal point: We start with the number 149597871. To get a number between 1 and 10, we need to move the decimal point 8 places to the left. This gives us 1.49597871.

* Exponent: Since we moved the decimal 8 places to the left, the exponent of 10 will be 8.

Therefore, 149597871 in scientific notation is 1.49597871 x 10⁸.