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Length & distance

Just how long is 1 light-hour?

Solar neighbourhood

1 light-h

Scale
1 light-hour

The quantity is exact as entered.

7.214 AULength
0 - shared origin
Betelgeuse

Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star in the constellation Orion that changes in brightness over time.

6.511 AUDiameter
0 - shared origin

Both rulers start at the same zero and share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its original proportions. A ruler represents the selected distance or a measurement not visible in this view.

A little perspective

1 light-hour is about 1.11 times the diameter of Betelgeuse.

Measurements, assumptions & sources +

1 light-hour

Length: 7.214 AU; definition.

The quantity is exact as entered. Comparisons use the clearly stated specimen, model or nominal measurement.

NIST — SI conversion factors

Betelgeuse

Diameter: 6.511 AU; rounded model.

A deliberately rounded red-supergiant model. Its apparent edge varies with wavelength and the star changes over time.

Defined examples — our methodology

The marked diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Measurement details

Why these numbers?

Compare 1 light-hour with the diameter of Betelgeuse. The notes below explain how each value was chosen.

1 light-hour

7.214 AU

Length · definition

The quantity is exact as entered. Comparisons use the clearly stated specimen, model or nominal measurement.

Betelgeuse

6.511 AU

Diameter · rounded model

A deliberately rounded red-supergiant model. Its apparent edge varies with wavelength and the star changes over time.

Comparing
Length ↔ Diameter
Relative size
1 light-hour is about 1.11 times the diameter of Betelgeuse. 1 light-hour is approximately 10.8% greater than the diameter of Betelgeuse.

How to read the visual

The diagram uses the recorded measurements. Details outside the marked spans do not set the scale.

  • The diameter of Betelgeuse: This is an illustrative comparison value, not a claim that every example is the same.

This comparison follows the selected length only; other dimensions may differ.

1.0793 × 10¹² mmetres
3.5409 × 10¹² ftfeet
670,620,000 mimiles
7.2144 AUastronomical units

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