# Meters to Astronomical Units (m to au)

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

**1 m = 6.6845871222684E-12 au**

One meter equals approximately 6.685 x 10-12 astronomical units. The AU (149.6 billion meters) measures planetary distances; the meter measures human-scale objects. About 11 orders of magnitude separate them.

## Formula

Convert Meters to Astronomical Units

## Conversion Table

| Meters (m) | Astronomical Units (au) |
|---|---|
| 1 m | 6.68458712E-12 au |
| 10 m | 6.684587122E-11 au |
| 100 m | 6.6845871222E-10 au |
| 1000 m | 6.68458712226E-9 au |
| 10000 m | 6.684587122268E-8 au |
| 100000 m | 6.6845871222684E-7 au |
| 1000000 m | 6.6845871222684E-6 au |
| 10000000 m | 6.6845871222684E-5 au |
| 100000000 m | 0.00066845871222684 au |
| 1000000000 m | 0.0066845871222684 au |

## Units

### Meter (m)

The base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Used worldwide as the standard measure of distance.

### 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.

## Background

The Earth-Sun distance is 1 AU = 149,597,870,700 m (about 149.6 billion meters). Light crosses 1 AU in about 499 seconds (8 minutes 19 seconds). The meter-to-AU conversion is essential in spacecraft navigation where trajectory calculations use meters but results are reported in AU.

## Good to Know

The meter was derived from Earth's circumference. The AU was derived from Earth's orbit. Both units are defined by our planet's relationship with the cosmos. The meter measures the ground beneath us; the AU measures the sky above us.

## FAQ

### How many AU is 1 meter?

One meter equals approximately 6.685 x 10-12 AU (about 6.7 trillionths of an AU).

### How many meters are in 1 AU?

One AU equals exactly 149,597,870,700 meters (about 149.6 billion m), as defined by the IAU in 2012.

### When is meters-to-AU conversion used?

In spacecraft navigation. Trajectory calculations are done in meters (or km), but mission distances are reported in AU for context. Mars at closest approach is about 0.37 AU or 55.7 billion meters.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### How many meter sticks laid end-to-end reach the Sun?

About 149.6 billion meter sticks. At $5 each, that is $748 billion - roughly the GDP of Switzerland. The Swiss could fund a meter-stick highway to the Sun. They probably will not.

### If I ran 1 meter per second toward the Sun, when would I arrive?

149.6 billion seconds = about 4,741 years. You would arrive around the year 6767. Bring sunscreen for a civilization that does not yet exist.

### Is the AU definition really exact?

Since 2012, the IAU defines 1 AU = 149,597,870,700 m exactly. Before that, it was defined by the gravitational constant and varied slightly with measurement improvements. Astronomers got tired of the number changing and just fixed it. Sometimes science is about picking a number and sticking with it.

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## See Also

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