Why is the AU impractical for measuring the distance to Alpha Centauri?

Answer

The calculation results in a very large number (hundreds of thousands of AUs), making light-years or parsecs more manageable.

For interstellar distances, converting the distance to AUs yields huge numbers, which is why astronomers switch to larger scales like light-years or parsecs for conceptual clarity.

Why is the AU impractical for measuring the distance to Alpha Centauri?

#Videos

AU and Light Years Explained - How we measure space - YouTube

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