I understand the use of metric, the real question is: with how vast space truly is, why do we not use other prefixes like we do for computer memory?
- 1kilometer = 1,000 meters (
km
) or (6.68459e-9 AU
) - 1megameter = 1,000,000 meters (
Mm
) or (6.68459e-6 AU
) - 1gigameter = 1,000,000,000 meters (
Gm
) or (0.00668459 AU
) - 1terameter = 1,000,000,000,000 meters (
Tm
) or (6.68459 AU
) - etc...
I get that we also have AU
, which is more commonly referred to in terms of long-distance space travel (because it's the most relative thing we have). But I made a joke about megameters (Mm) earlier in a comment and started honestly wondering if there is a specific reason? I found this generic Quora answer (completely unrelated to Space Travel), is it actually that simple-- human relatability?
EDIT: Either we can close this or, for an "accepted" answer, I'm honestly looking for examples (opinion or otherwise) of these measurements being used, practically. For instance was there ever a mission done in anything other than AU/km/m? Was there a rejected proposal for software that involved measurements like this? I understand all of the arguments presented, but wonder if there's instances of this in existing software.
886Ym = 5,922,544,190,329,842 AU
- That is absolutely insane.Ym
is Yottameters I'm assuming? $\endgroup$