Question

How many light years in diameter is the solar system?

Answer 1

Hint : Light years and the solar system are the two big terms given the problem above. Thus, we shall first gather more knowledge about the solar system and light years. However, we know that since the solar system is very immense and vast, therefore usual units of measurements cannot be used to observe the distances related to it and the astronomers developed a new unit called light years.

Complete step-by-step solution:
A light year is the distance that light travels in a full year at speeds of almost $3\times {10}^{6}km{s}^{-1}$.
$1$ light year $=63,270AU$
where, AU represents one astronomical unit.
Comets originate from the Oort cloud. This is a bunch of frozen gases and ice particles and things like that. Thus, this is the outer boundary of the solar system. The distance of sun from this outer boundary is $50,000AU$.
Therefore, the solar system has a diameter of about $100,000AU$(when all comets like the Oort cloud are included in the measurement of the solar system).
However, we do not include this Oort cloud in the calculation of the size of the solar system. Excluding the Oort cloud, our solar system has a diameter of$63,270AU$.
Therefore, the solar system is $1$ light years in diameter.

Note:
According to the astronomers, this Oort cloud can be 1 light year in length. If we consider it to be a part of the solar system then the diameter is measured to be equal to 1.5 light years. However, if we do not take the Oort cloud to be inside the solar system, then its diameter is equal to only 0.5 light years in length.