When modeling cosmic scale, if 1 AU equals 1 centimeter, how far away is Proxima Centauri (4.24 ly) in kilometers on that map?
Answer
2.7 kilometers
The text provides a specific conceptual scaling exercise to illustrate the vastness between the solar system and the nearest star. It states that Proxima Centauri is located about 4.24 light-years away, which translates to approximately 268,000 AU. When mapping this distance such that 1 AU equals 1 centimeter, the total scaled distance becomes 268,000 centimeters. Converting this length: 268,000 centimeters equals 2,680 meters, which is equivalent to 2.68 kilometers. This is rounded to approximately 2.7 kilometers in the provided context, dramatically showing the gulf between stellar neighbors compared to distances within the solar system.
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