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A '''light-year''' is a unit of measurement used to measure interstellar distance. It is quantified as the distance that light travels in a vacuum over the course of an [[Earth]] year.  
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A '''light-year''' was a [[unit of measurement]] used to measure and define interstellar [[distance]] through [[space]]. It was quantified as the distance that [[light]] travelled in a [[vacuum]] over the course of an [[Earth]] [[year]], that being [[670616700 (number)|670,616,700]] [[mile]]s. Distance was therefore [[calculated]] in how far light travelled in one year rather than in miles. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Spacewords (feature)}})
 
[[100 (number)|100]] light-years made up a '''light-century'''. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Ribos Operation (TV story)}})
 
== Known distances ==
=== From Earth ===
[[Planet XXX]] was [[9.2 (number)|9.2]] light years from Earth. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Through the Ruins (audio story)}})
 
[[Epsilon Eridani]] was "about [[11 (number)|11]] light-years or so" from Earth. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Is Anyone There? (comic story)}})
 
[[Gliese 581d]] was [[20 (number)|20]] light-years from Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Smile (TV story)}})
 
[[Vega 3]] was [[27 (number)|27]] light-years from Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|K9 and the Beasts of Vega (novel)}})
 
[[Arcturus (star)|Arcturus]] was [[40 (number)|40]] light-years from [[Earth]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Only a Matter of Time (short story)}})
 
[[Aldebaran II]] was [[68 (number)|68]] light-years from Earth. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Paradise of Death (audio story)}})
 
[[Halcyon (planet)|Halcyon]] was [[90 (number)|90]] light-years from Earth. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Resurrection of Mars (audio story)}})
 
[[Sunday (planet)|Sunday]] was [[100 (number)|100]] light-years from Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Wetworld (novel)}})
 
[[Beta Caprisis]] was 100 light-years from Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Sanctuary (novel)}})
 
In [[1873]], [[Mondas]] was [[200 (number)|200]] light-years from Earth. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Silver Turk (audio story)}})
 
[[Lucifer (planet)|Lucifer]] was [[280 (number)|280]] light-years from Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Lucifer Rising (novel)}})
 
[[Bellatrix]] was [[324 (number)|324]] light-years from Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Nightshade (novel)}})
 
[[Gger]] was [[500 (number)|500]] light-years from Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Listen - The Stars (short story)}})
 
[[Crimson Heart]] was [[10000 (number)|10,000]] light-years from Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Death of the Doctor (TV story)}})
 
The [[Orpheus constellation]] was 10,000 light-years from Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Aeolian (TV story)}})
 
According to one account, [[Gallifrey]] was [[30000 (number)|30,000]] light-years from Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Devil Goblins from Neptune (novel)}})
 
The [[homeworld]] of the [[Uvodni]], located in the [[Spiral Cluster]] of the [[Dragon Nebula]], was [[34000 (number)|34,000]] light-years from Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Warriors of Kudlak (TV story)}})
 
[[New Earth (New Earth)|New Earth]] was [[50000 (number)|50,000]] light-years from Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Gridlock (TV story)}})
 
[[Vandos]] was [[60000 (number)|60,000]] light-years from Earth. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Mr Nobody (comic story)}})
 
[[Dæmos]] was 60,000 light-years from Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Dæmons (TV story)}})
 
[[Galaxy Seven]] was [[290000 (number)|290,000]] light-years from Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Eyeless (novel)}})
 
[[Surobos]] was [[420000 (number)|420,000]] light-years from Earth. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Shipwreck! (comic story)}})
 
[[Gorgos]] was [[100000000 (number)|100,000,000]] light-years from Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Eye of the Gorgon (TV story)}})
 
According to the [[Eighth Doctor]], Gallifrey was [[250000000 (number)|250,000,000]] light-years from Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Doctor Who (TV story)}})
 
According to the [[Eleventh Doctor]], [[Apalapucia]] was [[2000000000 (number)|2,000,000,000]] light-years from Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Girl Who Waited (TV story)}})
 
According to the [[First Doctor]], [[Destination]] was billions of light-years away from Earth. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Destination Wars (audio story)}})
 
=== From other locations ===
The [[Ao (constellation)|Ao]] [[constellation]] and [[Qqaba]] were [[9.6 (number)|9.6]] light-years from [[Gallifrey]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Lungbarrow (novel)}})
 
[[Ribos]] was [[300 (number)|300]] light-years from the [[Magellanic Clouds]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Ribos Operation (TV story)}})
 
The [[Twelfth Cyber Legion]] was [[20000 (number)|20,000]] light-years from [[Demons Run]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|A Good Man Goes to War (TV story)}})
 
[[Safeplace]] was about [[32000 (number)|32,000]] light-years from [[Mars]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Judgement of Isskar (audio story)}})
 
The [[First Doctor]] encountered a group of [[Waterman (Dr. Who Meets the Watermen)|Watermen]] [[5000000 (number)|5 million]] light-years from [[Q20]]. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Dr. Who Meets the Watermen (comic story)}})
 
The [[Second Doctor]] once materialised [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] while it was [[4000000000000000 (number)|4 quadrillion]] light-years from the nearest [[galaxy]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|When Starlight Grows Cold (short story)}})
 
[[Katura (planet)|Katura]] was [[3.62 (number)|3.62]] light-years from Mars. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Judoon in Chains (audio story)}})
 
The blast on [[Hurala]] that [[Loss of the Exterminator|destroyed]] the ''[[Exterminator (ship)|Exterminator]]'' during the [[Second Dalek War]] produced a flare visible from [[7 (number)|7]] light-years away. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Prisoner of the Daleks (novel)}})


While it is a measurement of distance, not time, terms for lengths of multiple years can be used to indicate larger values; for example, ten light years could be called a light-decade, one hundred light years could be called a light-century, and so on. Conversely, shorter periods can be used, such as a light-months, light days, and so on; Earth's distance from [[Sol|its sun]] could be expressed as 8 light-minutes.
== Known measurements ==
The [[Mutter's Spiral]] [[galaxy]] was around [[100000 (number)|100,000]] light-years in diameter. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Eyeless (novel)}}) Before splitting apart into an [[Sycorax|armada]] of [[Sycorax|asteroid spacecraft]], the [[Sycorax (planet)|home planet]] of the [[Sycorax]] was located in the [[wasteland]]s of the galaxy, many light years away from Earth. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)}})


{{wikipediainfo}}
The [[Morestran]] empire spanned [[80000000 (number)|80,000,000]] light-years. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Zeta Major (novel)}})
[[Category:Real World science]]
 
[[Category:Astronomy]]
== References ==
[[Rose Tyler]] once asked the [[Ninth Doctor]] what a lightyear was, to which he jokingly replied "a normal [[year]], but with fewer [[calorie]]s". ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Knock! Knock! Who's There? (novel)}})
 
[[Category:Astronomy from the real world]]
[[Category:Units of distance from the real world]]
[[Category:Light]]
 
[[cy:Blwyddyn golau]]

Latest revision as of 14:21, 11 December 2024

Light-year

A light-year was a unit of measurement used to measure and define interstellar distance through space. It was quantified as the distance that light travelled in a vacuum over the course of an Earth year, that being 670,616,700 miles. Distance was therefore calculated in how far light travelled in one year rather than in miles. (PROSE: Spacewords [+]Loading...["Spacewords (feature)"])

100 light-years made up a light-century. (TV: The Ribos Operation [+]Loading...["The Ribos Operation (TV story)"])

Known distances[[edit] | [edit source]]

From Earth[[edit] | [edit source]]

Planet XXX was 9.2 light years from Earth. (AUDIO: Through the Ruins [+]Loading...["Through the Ruins (audio story)"])

Epsilon Eridani was "about 11 light-years or so" from Earth. (COMIC: Is Anyone There? [+]Loading...["Is Anyone There? (comic story)"])

Gliese 581d was 20 light-years from Earth. (TV: Smile [+]Loading...["Smile (TV story)"])

Vega 3 was 27 light-years from Earth. (PROSE: K9 and the Beasts of Vega [+]Loading...["K9 and the Beasts of Vega (novel)"])

Arcturus was 40 light-years from Earth. (PROSE: Only a Matter of Time [+]Loading...["Only a Matter of Time (short story)"])

Aldebaran II was 68 light-years from Earth. (AUDIO: The Paradise of Death [+]Loading...["The Paradise of Death (audio story)"])

Halcyon was 90 light-years from Earth. (AUDIO: The Resurrection of Mars [+]Loading...["The Resurrection of Mars (audio story)"])

Sunday was 100 light-years from Earth. (PROSE: Wetworld [+]Loading...["Wetworld (novel)"])

Beta Caprisis was 100 light-years from Earth. (PROSE: Sanctuary [+]Loading...["Sanctuary (novel)"])

In 1873, Mondas was 200 light-years from Earth. (AUDIO: The Silver Turk [+]Loading...["The Silver Turk (audio story)"])

Lucifer was 280 light-years from Earth. (PROSE: Lucifer Rising [+]Loading...["Lucifer Rising (novel)"])

Bellatrix was 324 light-years from Earth. (PROSE: Nightshade [+]Loading...["Nightshade (novel)"])

Gger was 500 light-years from Earth. (PROSE: Listen - The Stars [+]Loading...["Listen - The Stars (short story)"])

Crimson Heart was 10,000 light-years from Earth. (TV: Death of the Doctor [+]Loading...["Death of the Doctor (TV story)"])

The Orpheus constellation was 10,000 light-years from Earth. (TV: Aeolian [+]Loading...["Aeolian (TV story)"])

According to one account, Gallifrey was 30,000 light-years from Earth. (PROSE: The Devil Goblins from Neptune [+]Loading...["The Devil Goblins from Neptune (novel)"])

The homeworld of the Uvodni, located in the Spiral Cluster of the Dragon Nebula, was 34,000 light-years from Earth. (TV: Warriors of Kudlak [+]Loading...["Warriors of Kudlak (TV story)"])

New Earth was 50,000 light-years from Earth. (TV: Gridlock [+]Loading...["Gridlock (TV story)"])

Vandos was 60,000 light-years from Earth. (COMIC: Mr Nobody [+]Loading...["Mr Nobody (comic story)"])

Dæmos was 60,000 light-years from Earth. (TV: The Dæmons [+]Loading...["The Dæmons (TV story)"])

Galaxy Seven was 290,000 light-years from Earth. (PROSE: The Eyeless [+]Loading...["The Eyeless (novel)"])

Surobos was 420,000 light-years from Earth. (COMIC: Shipwreck! [+]Loading...["Shipwreck! (comic story)"])

Gorgos was 100,000,000 light-years from Earth. (TV: Eye of the Gorgon [+]Loading...["Eye of the Gorgon (TV story)"])

According to the Eighth Doctor, Gallifrey was 250,000,000 light-years from Earth. (TV: Doctor Who [+]Loading...["Doctor Who (TV story)"])

According to the Eleventh Doctor, Apalapucia was 2,000,000,000 light-years from Earth. (TV: The Girl Who Waited [+]Loading...["The Girl Who Waited (TV story)"])

According to the First Doctor, Destination was billions of light-years away from Earth. (AUDIO: The Destination Wars [+]Loading...["The Destination Wars (audio story)"])

From other locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Ao constellation and Qqaba were 9.6 light-years from Gallifrey. (PROSE: Lungbarrow [+]Loading...["Lungbarrow (novel)"])

Ribos was 300 light-years from the Magellanic Clouds. (TV: The Ribos Operation [+]Loading...["The Ribos Operation (TV story)"])

The Twelfth Cyber Legion was 20,000 light-years from Demons Run. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War [+]Loading...["A Good Man Goes to War (TV story)"])

Safeplace was about 32,000 light-years from Mars. (AUDIO: The Judgement of Isskar [+]Loading...["The Judgement of Isskar (audio story)"])

The First Doctor encountered a group of Watermen 5 million light-years from Q20. (COMIC: Dr. Who Meets the Watermen [+]Loading...["Dr. Who Meets the Watermen (comic story)"])

The Second Doctor once materialised the TARDIS while it was 4 quadrillion light-years from the nearest galaxy. (PROSE: When Starlight Grows Cold [+]Loading...["When Starlight Grows Cold (short story)"])

Katura was 3.62 light-years from Mars. (AUDIO: Judoon in Chains [+]Loading...["Judoon in Chains (audio story)"])

The blast on Hurala that destroyed the Exterminator during the Second Dalek War produced a flare visible from 7 light-years away. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Prisoner of the Daleks (novel)"])

Known measurements[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Mutter's Spiral galaxy was around 100,000 light-years in diameter. (PROSE: The Eyeless [+]Loading...["The Eyeless (novel)"]) Before splitting apart into an armada of asteroid spacecraft, the home planet of the Sycorax was located in the wastelands of the galaxy, many light years away from Earth. (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"])

The Morestran empire spanned 80,000,000 light-years. (PROSE: Zeta Major [+]Loading...["Zeta Major (novel)"])

References[[edit] | [edit source]]

Rose Tyler once asked the Ninth Doctor what a lightyear was, to which he jokingly replied "a normal year, but with fewer calories". (PROSE: Knock! Knock! Who's There? [+]Loading...["Knock! Knock! Who's There? (novel)"])