Approximately how many million kilometers is one Astronomical Unit (AU) fixed at?
Answer
149.6 million kilometers
The Astronomical Unit (AU) is a critical, standardized scale used for solar system measurements, defined precisely based on the Earth-Sun relationship. The exact fixed value for one AU is approximately $149.6$ million kilometers. This specific metric value serves as the reference point for defining distances to all other bodies within the solar system; for example, Jupiter is located about $5.2$ AU away from the Sun. While the text also mentions that $1$ AU is about $93$ million miles, the metric equivalent anchors it firmly at $149.6$ million kilometers, which is crucial for calculations that must interface with the kilometer-based SI system where necessary.
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