Why did the IAU decide to fix the AU value in meters rather than continue using the measured Earth-Sun distance?
Answer
To prevent continuous, minor updates to all existing orbital catalogs due to slight orbital changes.
Fixing the value prevents instability in data archives and catalogs, as the Earth's actual average orbital distance constantly changes slightly due to gravitational interactions.
#Videos
AU and Light Years Explained - How we measure space - YouTube
Related Questions
What is the fundamental definition of the Astronomical Unit (AU)?What exact value did the IAU fix the Astronomical Unit to in 2012?What historical observation was crucial in determining the early value of the AU?Why did the IAU decide to fix the AU value in meters rather than continue using the measured Earth-Sun distance?Approximately how far from the Sun does Jupiter orbit when expressed in Astronomical Units?Which celestial body, listed in the table, orbits at approximately 0.39 AU?What concept does the massive gap of nearly 3.7 AU between Mars and Jupiter illustrate?How is the distance between Earth and Mars at closest approach most easily determined when using AUs?For highly elliptical objects like Halley's Comet, what two AU measurements are most useful to provide?Why is the AU impractical for measuring the distance to Alpha Centauri?