Help me out: how can a "light year" be a unit of distance?

Horshack wrote:

Number 2 wrote:

And how did Han Solo do the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs when a parsec is a unit of distance not time?

The Kessel run goes around a sector of space infested with black holes. Most pilots went on a much longer arc (18 parsecs in distance) to stay away. Mr Solo was very brave (or wreckless) and cut it a lot closer, almost getting killed.

Ie, Han Solo Kip Litton'd the Kessel Run by a little more than 6 parsecs.

The word you're looking for is reckless. And Lucas made up that BS story when called on writing a dumb line. If he was really smart, he would've said the ship was fast enough to defy the physical limitations known to man in space, literally teleporting from one part of the universe to another.

elkem wrote:

I don't get it. You're telling me a year is a unit of distance? What am I missing?

An education?

light*year = speed of light * years = [distance/time]*[time] =[distance]

Help me out please. I have serious trouble rectifying the fact the George Lucas came up with the story line or even identified the right bits to focus on from the story, without outside help.

reasoning is he doesn't seem to be the guy to understand the concept that ones own worst enemy is oneself much less put it into a creative form such as Luke with Yoda. I can't see Lucas as the guy to see the Empire as the 'system' and the Jedi as the aware individuals battling it's forces of control and servitude.

More importantly, with the prequel trilogy all of that was missing.

Does anyone know who the brilliant guy/girl/people were from Star Wars through Jedi?

What happens if it's a leap year?

come on guys wrote:

A light year is the distance light travels in a year, it's that simple.

Yeah but what if it's going slow?

dartmoth graduate wrote:

That may be one for the science dudes, but I got a better question: why do they call them "apartments" when they're all together? What is up with that? Sheesh, and get this: why do we park on "driveways" but drive on "parkways?" I tell ya.

Good stuff:) :). I like it...gonna use this on my kids. Thanks man. :) :) :)

might be wejo wrote:

Why do they call it Ovaltine?

The jar is round, the cup is round.

Shouldn't it be called Roundtine?

The real name is Ovomaltine (from ovum, Latin for "egg", and malt).

elkem wrote:

I don't get it. You're telling me a year is a unit of distance? What am I missing?

I'm not an expert but my guess would be:

1) you're a douchebag or

2) you're a douchebag who never studied physics

Frogger wrote:

What happens if it's a leap year?

This is the cornerstone of expansion theory. If you observe a galaxy that is x light-years away, then every time there is a leap year it moves to x light-years + 1 light-day, ergo everything in the universe is accelerating away at the rate of 1 light-day every 4 years.

Apparently, the Kessel run in parsecs thing was supposed to be an indicator of Han trying to bluff, but badly. Somehow it didn't come off well on screen and then stupid fans came up with explanations. The Millenium Falcon isn't actually fast!

Avon ladies.

Dong-dong, ding-dong.

What's up with that?

It might help to remember it as a "speed-of-light year". That is, if you spend one year traveling at the speed of light in a vacuum, then you travel precisely one light year.

Why do 'Fat chance' and 'Slim chance' mean the same thing? I mean come on folks, seriously.

roger e bert wrote:

Wet behind the ears wrote:

Light trying to escape an event horizon can travel 0 feet in a year. Simple.

event horizon was a crappy movie

Event Horizon is a classic sci-fi horror flick. Liberate tutame ex inferis!!!

It is the distance that light travels in one year across the universe at 186,000 miles per second. Do the math.

1 light year = 5,865,696,000,000 miles

PI IS EXACTLY 3!!!

I have a thermos bottle. When I put hot soup in it, it keeps it warm. When I put a cold beverage in it, it helps keep it cold. How does it know??? It's just a thermos bottle!!!