ly to Pm
92 unitsConvert Light year to Petameter (ly to Pm)
1 light year = 9.460730473 petameters. Convert light years to petameters instantly, with the exact factor, the formula and a reference table of common values.
ly to Pm conversion table
| ly | Pm |
|---|---|
| 1 ly | 9.460730473 Pm |
| 2 ly | 18.92146095 Pm |
| 3 ly | 28.38219142 Pm |
| 5 ly | 47.30365236 Pm |
| 10 ly | 94.60730473 Pm |
| 20 ly | 189.2146095 Pm |
| 50 ly | 473.0365236 Pm |
| 100 ly | 946.0730473 Pm |
| 250 ly | 2365.182618 Pm |
| 500 ly | 4730.365236 Pm |
| 1000 ly | 9460.730473 Pm |
What is a light year?
A light year is a distance, not a time: it is how far light travels in one year, about 9.46 trillion kilometers. Light covers roughly 300,000 kilometers every second, and a year gives it a very long run.
Astronomers use light years because space is so empty. The nearest star beyond the Sun, Proxima Centauri, is about 4.2 light years away, and our galaxy is roughly 100,000 light years across. Seeing a star ten light years away means seeing light that left it ten years ago.
In writing, the light year is usually shortened to "ly". One light year is 9.460730e+15 meters, and that ratio is what every figure on this page is built from.