# Astronomical Units to Chains (au to ch)

Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/astronomical-units-to-chains/

**1 au = 7436464581.842 ch**

One astronomical unit equals approximately 7.432 × 109 chains - about 7.4 billion surveyor's chains. This conversion pairs the solar system distance unit with the 17th-century land surveying unit (66 feet / 20.12 m). No surveyor has ever needed to measure planetary distances, making this conversion purely theoretical.

## Formula

Convert Astronomical Units to Chains

## Conversion Table

| Astronomical Units (au) | Chains (ch) |
|---|---|
| 1.0E-10 au | 0.7436464581842 ch |
| 1.0E-9 au | 7.436464581842 ch |
| 1.0E-8 au | 74.36464581842 ch |
| 1.0E-7 au | 743.6464581842 ch |
| 1.0E-6 au | 7436.464581842 ch |
| 1.0E-5 au | 74364.64581842 ch |
| 0.0001 au | 743646.4581842 ch |
| 0.001 au | 7436464.581842 ch |
| 0.01 au | 74364645.81842 ch |
| 0.1 au | 743646458.1842 ch |
| 1 au | 7436464581.842 ch |

## Units

### 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.

### Chain (ch)

Exactly 66 feet or 4 rods (20.1168 m). Invented by Edmund Gunter for land surveying. 80 chains make one mile. Still used in US public land surveys.

## Background

Gunter's chain at 20.12 meters fits about 7.4 billion times into one AU. The entire US Public Land Survey System, measured in chains, covers a tiny fraction of the Earth's surface - itself only about 0.0000085 AU across. These scales exist in completely different measurement worlds.

## Good to Know

Gunter's chain was designed to simplify land area calculation (10 sq chains = 1 acre). The astronomical unit was designed to simplify orbital mechanics. Neither was ever intended to work with the other.

## FAQ

### How many chains are in 1 AU?

One AU contains approximately 7.432 × 109 chains (about 7.4 billion chains). Each chain is 66 feet (20.12 meters).

### How do I convert AU to chains?

Multiply AU by 7.432 × 109. Since 1 AU = 149,597,870,700 m and 1 chain = 20.1168 m, divide the former by the latter.

### Is this conversion useful?

No. The astronomical unit measures planetary orbits; the chain measures farm fields. These are about 9 orders of magnitude apart and belong to entirely different domains.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### Could Gunter survey the solar system?

Gunter's chain is 20.12 m. The Earth-Sun distance is about 7.43 billion chains. At one chain per minute to measure, surveying 1 AU would take about 14,130 years. Gunter would need a very long tea break.

### How many cricket pitches from Earth to the Sun?

A cricket pitch is 1 chain (22 yards). One AU is about 7.43 billion chains, so 7.43 billion cricket pitches end-to-end. The ICC has not sanctioned a match of this length.

### Is the Earth-Sun distance just a lot of property lines?

If you lined up 7.43 billion property surveys of 1 chain each, you would reach the Sun. That is roughly one property per person on Earth, each contributing one chain to the cosmic journey. Land ownership really does connect us to the stars.

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## See Also

- [Chains to Astronomical Units](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/chains-to-astronomical-units/)