Understanding the Concepts
* Light-hour: The distance light travels in one hour.
* Astronomical Unit (AU): The average distance between the Earth and the Sun. It's approximately 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers.
* Speed of Light: Light travels at a speed of approximately 299,792,458 meters per second.
Calculations
1. Calculate distance in meters:
* Light travels 299,792,458 meters per second.
* There are 3600 seconds in an hour.
* Distance traveled by light in one hour: 299,792,458 m/s * 3600 s/hour = 1,079,252,848,800 meters
2. Calculate distance in AU:
* 1 AU is approximately 149,597,870,700 meters.
* Distance in AU: 1,079,252,848,800 meters / 149,597,870,700 meters/AU = approximately 7.22 AU
Therefore, Pluto is approximately 7.22 AU from the Sun.
Important Note: Pluto's orbit is highly elliptical, so its distance from the Sun varies significantly. This calculation is based on the average distance.
