astronomical unit
noun
: a unit of length used in astronomy equal to the mean distance of the earth from the sun or about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers)
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How far is an astronomical unit, anyhow?
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Earth orbits the sun at an average distance of 93 million miles (150 million kilometers), a distance known as 1 astronomical unit.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Jan. 2026
They are also expected to be enormous, with radii of about tens of astronomical units — a cosmic distance measurement equal to the average distance between Earth and the Sun.
—Alexey A. Petrov, The Conversation, 25 Nov. 2025
At the time it was imaged, the comet was about 0.2 astronomical units (19 million miles, or 30 million kilometers) from the spacecraft.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2025
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Earth orbits the sun at an average distance of 93 million miles (150 million kilometers), a distance known as 1 astronomical unit.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Jan. 2026
They are also expected to be enormous, with radii of about tens of astronomical units — a cosmic distance measurement equal to the average distance between Earth and the Sun.
—Alexey A. Petrov, The Conversation, 25 Nov. 2025
At the time it was imaged, the comet was about 0.2 astronomical units (19 million miles, or 30 million kilometers) from the spacecraft.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for astronomical unit
Cite this Entry
“Astronomical unit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astronomical%20unit. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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