light-year ly
Distance light travels in one Julian year — about 9.46 trillion km. Astronomy.
Quick convert — light-year to popular units
Live converter, three directions. Type any value to update all three.
light-year
metre
1 ly = 9.4607e+15m
light-year
kilometre
1 ly = 9.4607e+12km
light-year
centimetre
1 ly = 9.46e+17cm
Conversion table — light-year to every Length unit
All values for 1 ly (forward) and 1 reverse unit → {symbol}.
| To / From | 1 ly = | 1 to-unit = |
|---|---|---|
| metre (m) | 9.460730e+15 m | 1.057001e-16 ly |
| kilometre (km) | 9.460730e+12 km | 1.057001e-13 ly |
| centimetre (cm) | 9.460730e+17 cm | 1.057001e-18 ly |
| millimetre (mm) | 9.460730e+18 mm | 1.057001e-19 ly |
| micrometre (μm) | 9.460730e+21 μm | 1.057001e-22 ly |
| nanometre (nm) | 9.460730e+24 nm | 1.057001e-25 ly |
| mile (mi) | 5.878625e+12 mi | 1.701078e-13 ly |
| yard (yd) | 1.034638e+16 yd | 9.665216e-17 ly |
| foot (ft) | 3.103914e+16 ft | 3.221739e-17 ly |
| inch (in) | 3.724697e+17 in | 2.684782e-18 ly |
| nautical mile (nmi) | 5.108386e+12 nmi | 1.957566e-13 ly |
| ångström (Å) | 9.460730e+25 Å | 1.057001e-26 ly |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ly stand for?
light-year (ly) is a unit of Length.
How many ly are in 1 m?
1 m = 9.4607e+15 ly, so 1 ly = 1.0570e-16 m.
Is this the SI base unit?
No. light-year is one of several units in the Length category. The SI base is m.
Common conversions from light-year
#1
light-year (ly) → meter (m)
Convert light-year (ly) to meter.
#2light-year (ly) → kilometer (km)
Convert light-year (ly) to kilometer.
#3light-year (ly) → centimeter (cm)
Convert light-year (ly) to centimeter.
#4light-year (ly) → millimeter (mm)
Convert light-year (ly) to millimeter.
#5light-year (ly) → micrometer (μm)
Convert light-year (ly) to micrometer.
#6light-year (ly) → nanometer (nm)
Convert light-year (ly) to nanometer.
#7light-year (ly) → mile (mi)
Convert light-year (ly) to mile.
#8light-year (ly) → yard (yd)
Convert light-year (ly) to yard.