Since 2019, defined as the length of the path travelled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second, where the second is defined by a hyperfine transition frequency of caesium.
Lower bound of the (possibly infinite) radius of the universe, if it is a 3-sphere, according to one estimate using the WMAP data at 95% confidence[52] It equivalently implies that there are at minimum 21 particle horizon-sized volumes in the universe.
According to the laws of probability, the distance one must travel until one encounters a volume of space identical to our observable universe with conditions identical to our own.[53][54]
1.6 × 10−5 quectometers (1.6 × 10−35 meters) – the Planck length (Measures of distance shorter than this do not make physical sense, according to current theories of physics.)
1 qm – 1 quectometer, the smallest named subdivision of the meter in the SI base unit of length, one nonillionth of a meter.[56]
To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−13m and 10−12 m (100 fm and 1 pm).
570 fm – typical distance from the atomic nucleus of the two innermost electrons (electrons in the 1s shell) in the uranium atom, the heaviest naturally-occurring atom
The nanometre (SI symbol: nm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−9metres (1/1000000000m=0.000000001m).
To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−9 and 10−8 m (1nm and 10nm).
200nm – typical size of a Mycoplasma bacterium, among the smallest bacteria
300nm – greatest particle size that can fit through a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter (N100 removes up to 99.97% at 300 nm, N95 removes up to 95% at 300 nm)[84]
To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between one meter and ten meters.
Light, in vacuum, travels 1 meter in 1⁄299,792,458, or 3.3356409519815E-9 of a second.
1.63 m – (5 feet 4 inches) (or 64 inches) – height of average U.S. female human as of 2002[update] (source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))
1.75 m – (5 feet 8 inches) – height of average U.S. male human as of 2002[update] (source: U.S. CDC as per female above)
15 meters – approximate distance the tropical circles of latitude are moving towards the equator and the polar circles are moving towards the poles each year due to a natural, gradual decrease in the Earth's axial tilt
16 meters – length of a sperm whale, the largest toothed whale
18 meters – height of a Sauroposeidon, the tallest-known dinosaur
20 meters – length of a Leedsichthys, the largest-known fish to have lived
21 meters – height of High Force waterfall in England
30.5 meters – length of the lion's mane jellyfish, the largest jellyfish in the world
33 meters – length of a blue whale,[128] the largest animal on earth, living or extinct, in terms of mass
39 meters – length of a Supersaurus, the longest-known dinosaur and longest vertebrate[129]
66km – diameter of Naiad, the innermost of Neptune's moons
A length of 100 kilometers (about 62 miles), as a rough amount, is relatively common in measurements on Earth and for some astronomical objects.
It is the altitude at which the FAI defines spaceflight to begin.
989 Mm – diameter of Epsilon Indi, one of the nearest stars to Earth
The gigametre (SI symbol: Gm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000000000meters (109m).
To help compare different distances this section lists lengths starting at 109meters (1 gigameter (Gm) or 1 billion meters).
5.0 Gm – closest approach of Comet Halley to Earth, happened on 10 April 837
5.0 Gm – (proposed) Size of the arms of the giant triangle shaped Michelson interferometer of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) planned to start observations sometime in the 2030s.
7.9 Gm – diameter of Gamma Orionis, a blue dwarf or blue giant
35 Gm – approximate diameter of Arcturus, a close red giant star.[178] It is on the red giant branch, fusing hydrogen into helium in a shell surrounding an inert helium core.[177]
46 Gm – perihelion distance of Mercury (yellow ellipse on the right)
55 Gm – 60,000-year perigee of Mars (last achieved on 27 August 2003)
58 Gm – average passing distance between Earth and Mars at the moment they overtake each other in their orbits
61 Gm – diameter of Aldebaran, a red giant branch star (large star on right)[179]
1.114 Tm – 7.5 au – diameter of WOH G64, a star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which recently transformed from a red hypergiant to a yellow hypergiant[188]
1.4 Tm – 9.5 au – average distance between Saturn and the Sun
7.5 Pm – 50,000 AU – possible outer boundary of Oort cloud (other estimates are 75,000 to 125,000 or even 189,000 AU (1.18, 2, and 3 light-years, respectively))
9.5 Pm – 63,241.1 AU – one light-year, the distance light travels in one year
260 Pm – 27 light-years – Distance to Chara, a star approximately as bright as the Sun. Its faintness gives an idea how the Sun would appear when viewed from this distance.
The exametre (SI symbol: Em) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1018meters. To help compare different distances this section lists lengths between 1018m (1Em or 105.7 light-years) and 1019m (10Em or 1,057 light-years).
To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 10 Ym (1025m or 1.1 billion light-years). At this scale, expansion of the universe becomes significant. Distance of these objects are derived from their measured redshifts, which depends on the cosmological models used.
13 Ym – 1.37 billion light-years – length of the South Pole Wall
13 Ym – 1.38 billion light-years – length of the Sloan Great Wall
To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 100 Ym (1026m or 11 billion light-years). At this scale, expansion of the universe becomes significant. Distance of these objects are derived from their measured redshifts, which depend on the cosmological models used.
260 Ym – 27.4 billion light-years – diameter of the observable universe (double LTD)
440 Ym – 46 billion light-years – radius of the universe measured as a comoving distance
590 Ym – 62 billion light-years – cosmological event horizon: the largest comoving distance from which light will ever reach us (the observer) at any time in the future
886.48 Ym – 93.7 billion light-years – the diameter of the observable universe (twice the particle horizon); however, there might be unobserved distances that are even greater.
To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 1 Rm (1027m or 105.7 billion light-years). At this scale, expansion of the universe becomes significant. Distance of these objects are derived from their measured redshifts, which depend on the cosmological models used.
>1 Rm – >105.7 billion light-years – size of universe beyond the cosmic light horizon, depending on its curvature; if the curvature is zero (i.e. the universe is spatially flat), the value can be infinite (see Shape of the universe) as previously mentioned.
2.764 Rm - 292.2 billion light-years – circumference of the observable universe, as it is in the shape of a sphere.
The diameter of human hair ranges from 17 to 181 μm Ley, Brian (1999). Elert, Glenn (ed.). "Diameter of a human hair". The Physics Factbook. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
The exact category (asteroid, dwarf planet, or planet) to which particular Solar System objects belong, has been subject to some revision since the discovery of extrasolar planets and trans-Neptunian objects
10115 is 1 followed by 115 zeroes, or a googol multiplied by a quadrillion. 1010115 is 1 followed by a quadrillion googol zeroes. 101010122 is 1 followed by 1010122 (a googolplex10 sextillion) zeroes.
Nave, Carl R. "Neutron Absorption Cross-sections". HyperPhysics. Retrieved 4 December 2008. (area for 20 GeV about 10 × 10−42 m2 gives effective radius of about 2 × 10−21 m; for 250 GeV about 150 × 10−42 m2 gives effective radius of about 7 × 10−21 m)
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