At InclusiveIAS, we understand the significance of Science and Technology in the UPSC Prelims and the challenges students face in mastering this subject. To address these issues, we have launched Science Corner, a dedicated space where aspirants can access comprehensive and meticulously curated notes tailored specifically for Prelims. Our aim is to simplify complex topics, align content with the evolving exam trends, and empower aspirants with a strong foundation to tackle Science and Technology questions confidently.By bridging the gap between complexity and clarity, this initiative reflects our philosophy of making UPSC preparation inclusive, effective, and student-centric.
Cosmic Distances
- The distances between planets, and particularly between stars, can be so vast when measured in miles and kilometers that they become impractical. Therefore, for cosmic distances, we use alternative units such as astronomical units, light years, and parsecs.
Astronomical units(AU)
- One AU is the distance from the Sun to Earth’s orbit, which is about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers).
- It is a useful unit of measure within our solar system.
Light year
- A light year is the distance a photon of light travels in one year, which is about 6 trillion miles (9 trillion kilometers, or 63,000 AU). For much greater distances — interstellar distances — astronomers use light years.
Parsec
- The Parsec is a unit of length used to measure the large distances to astronomical objects outside the Solar System, approximately equal to 3.26 light-years.It is the unit used when the number of light years between objects climbs into the high thousands or millions.
- Astronomers use “megaparsecs” — a megaparsec is 1 million parsecs — for intergalactic distances, or the scale of distances between the galaxies.
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