How many nautical miles are in 1 AU?

One AU contains approximately 80,778,000 NM (about 80.8 million).

How far is the Moon in NM?

The Moon is about 207,559 NM from Earth (384,400 km / 1.852 km per NM).

Nautical Miles to Astronomical Units (nmi to au) Converter

Q: How many AU is 1 nautical mile?

One nautical mile equals approximately 1.238 x 10-8 AU.

1 nmi = 1.23799 × 10⁻⁸ au

1 Nautical Mile equals 1.23799 × 10⁻⁸ Astronomical Units (1 nmi = 1.23799 × 10⁻⁸ au). Convert Nautical Miles to Astronomical Units with formula, table, and examples.

One nautical mile equals approximately 1.238 x 10^-8 astronomical units. The Earth-Sun distance (1 AU) is about 80,778,000 nautical miles. The NM measures sea and air distances; the AU measures planetary orbits.

How to Convert Nautical Miles to Astronomical Units

au = nmi × 1.23799 × 10⁻⁸

Multiply the value in Nautical Miles by 1.23799 × 10⁻⁸

Take your value in Nautical Miles
Multiply by 1.23799 × 10⁻⁸
Read the result in Astronomical Units

Common Nautical Miles to Astronomical Units Conversions

Nautical Miles (nmi)	Astronomical Units (au)	Status
1 nmi	1.23799 × 10⁻⁸ au
10 nmi	1.23799 × 10⁻⁷ au
100 nmi	0.000001 au
500 nmi	0.000006 au
1,000 nmi	0.00001 au
3,000 nmi	0.00004 au
5,000 nmi	0.0001 au
10,000 nmi	0.0001 au
21,600 nmi	0.0003 au
100,000 nmi	0.0012 au
1,000,000 nmi	0.0124 au

Good to Know About Nautical Miles to Astronomical Units Conversion

Aviation uses nautical miles. Space uses AU. The boundary between them is roughly the Moon (207,559 NM or 0.00257 AU). Below the Moon: nautical miles. Above the Moon: astronomical units. The Moon is the measurement handoff point between air and space.

Nautical Miles to Astronomical Units: What You Need to Know

The Sun is about 80.8 million NM away. Mars at closest approach is about 29.9 million NM. The Moon is about 207,559 NM away. International aviation routes span up to about 10,000 NM; 1 AU is about 8,078 times that.

What is a Nautical Mile? nmi

Exactly 1852 meters by international agreement. Based on one minute of arc of latitude at the Earth's surface. The standard unit for maritime and air navigation.

Nautical maritime navigation aviation international shipping

Learn more about Nautical Mile →

What is a Astronomical Unit? au

Exactly 149,597,870,700 meters by IAU 2012 definition. Roughly the average distance from the Earth to the Sun. Used for distances within our solar system.

Astronomical solar system distances astronomy planetary science

Learn more about Astronomical Unit →

Going the other way? Use our Astronomical Units to Nautical Miles converter.

Nautical Miles to Astronomical Units FAQ

One nautical mile equals approximately 1.238 x 10^-8 AU.
One AU contains approximately 80,778,000 NM (about 80.8 million).
The Moon is about 207,559 NM from Earth (384,400 km / 1.852 km per NM).

Non-Frequently Asked Questions About Nautical Miles to Astronomical Units

Questions nobody should ask - but someone did.

At 20 knots (20 NM/h), sailing 80.8 million NM to the Sun would take about 4.04 million hours = 461 years. Your crew would need 15-20 generations of sailors. The ship's log would be the longest document in history.
A transatlantic crossing is about 3,000 NM. 1 AU (80.8 million NM) is about 26,926 crossings. If you crossed the Atlantic once per week, it would take 518 years to cover 1 AU. Columbus started in 1492 and would not be done yet.
A long-range jet at 480 knots (480 NM/h) would need about 168,288 hours = 19.2 years of non-stop flying to cover 80.8 million NM. It would need about 4,800 mid-air refueling stops. No airline schedules this route. Yet.