Convert length and distance units — meters, feet, inches, kilometers, miles, light years and more.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 0.001 au | 1.496e+17 nm | |
| 0.01 au | 1.496e+18 nm | |
| 0.1 au | 1.496e+19 nm | |
| 1 au | 1.496e+20 nm | |
| 5 au | 7.480e+20 nm | |
| 10 au | 1.496e+21 nm | |
| 50 au | 7.480e+21 nm | |
| 100 au | 1.496e+22 nm | |
| 1000 au | 1.496e+23 nm |
Multiply the number of Astronomical Units by 1.496×1020 to get Nanometers. Formula: nm = au × 1.496×1020. Example: 10 au × 1.496×1020 = 1.496×1021 nm. To reverse, divide Nanometers by 1.496×1020 to get Astronomical Units.
| Astronomical Unit (au) | Nanometer (nm) |
|---|---|
| 0.001 au | 1.496×1017 nm |
| 0.01 au | 1.496×1018 nm |
| 0.1 au | 1.496×1019 nm |
| 0.5 au | 7.48×1019 nm |
| 1 au | 1.496×1020 nm |
| 2 au | 2.992×1020 nm |
| 5 au | 7.48×1020 nm |
| 10 au | 1.496×1021 nm |
| 20 au | 2.992×1021 nm |
| 50 au | 7.48×1021 nm |
| 100 au | 1.496×1022 nm |
| 250 au | 3.74×1022 nm |
| 500 au | 7.48×1022 nm |
| 1000 au | 1.496×1023 nm |
| 10000 au | 1.496×1024 nm |
To convert Astronomical Unit to Nanometer, multiply by 1.496×1020. Example: 10 au = 1.496×1021 nm
To convert Nanometer back to Astronomical Unit, divide by 1.496×1020 (multiply by 6.6845×10-21). Use the swap button above.
Start with 100 Astronomical Units = 1.496×1022 nm as your reference point. Scale up or down from there.
Astronomers express stellar distances in AU and parsecs, while spectral line wavelengths — used to measure those distances via redshift — are measured in nanometers (400–700 nm visible). Converting bridges quantum and cosmic scales.
Solar physicists model how irradiance at specific wavelengths (in nm) varies with distance from the Sun (in AU). The conversion between these units is embedded in solar spectral irradiance databases.
Researchers studying photovoltaic and optical materials measure light interaction wavelengths in nanometers, then model how those materials would perform at different solar distances expressed in AU.
1 AU = 1.496×10²⁰ nm — a number with 21 digits. Physicists use this conversion in courses on orders of magnitude to illustrate the extraordinary range of length scales relevant to a single discipline: astronomy.
Laser-based space communication systems specify wavelength in nanometers (typically 1064 nm or 1550 nm) while link distances use AU for solar system-scale missions — both units appear in the same system design document.
Researchers studying interplanetary dust grain optical properties measure scattering at specific wavelengths in nanometers, then map dust populations across AU-scale distances throughout the solar system.
The Astronomical Unit is a unit of Length measurement (symbol: au). 1 au = 1.496×1020 nm. Used in scientific and practical Length measurement applications.
The Nanometer is a unit of Length measurement (symbol: nm). It is part of an internationally recognised measurement system used alongside the Astronomical Unit.
The astronomical unit has ancient roots — Aristarchus of Samos attempted to measure the Earth-Sun distance around 270 BC, estimating it at 18–20 lunar distances (the true value is about 390). For centuries the AU was estimated using Venus transit observations and trigonometry. Edmond Halley organised the first coordinated international transit-of-Venus expedition in 1716. The modern value was determined by radar ranging to Venus in 1961. The IAU formally defined the AU as exactly 149,597,870,700 metres in 2012 — a fixed constant of physics, not a measured distance.
The nanometre owes its name to the Greek 'nanos' (dwarf) combined with metre. The prefix 'nano' was formally adopted by the International Committee for Weights and Measures in 1960 as part of the SI prefix system. Before the nanometre became standard, scientists used angstroms (1 nm = 10 Å) for atomic-scale measurements. The nanometre rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s alongside the development of nanotechnology and semiconductor manufacturing, where feature sizes first reached the nanometre scale around 1995.
Common use: Astronomical Unit to Nanometer conversion is needed when working with international standards, scientific publications, or reference materials that use different unit systems for Length measurement.