# Nautical Miles to Astronomical Units (nmi to au)

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

**1 nmi = 1.2379855350441E-8 au**

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.

## Formula

Convert Nautical Miles to Astronomical Units

## Conversion Table

| Nautical Miles (nmi) | Astronomical Units (au) |
|---|---|
| 1 nmi | 1.237985535044E-8 au |
| 10 nmi | 1.2379855350441E-7 au |
| 100 nmi | 1.2379855350441E-6 au |
| 500 nmi | 6.1899276752206E-6 au |
| 1000 nmi | 1.2379855350441E-5 au |
| 3000 nmi | 3.7139566051323E-5 au |
| 5000 nmi | 6.1899276752206E-5 au |
| 10000 nmi | 0.00012379855350441 au |
| 21600 nmi | 0.00026740487556953 au |
| 100000 nmi | 0.0012379855350441 au |
| 1000000 nmi | 0.012379855350441 au |

## Units

### 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.

### 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 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.

## Good to Know

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.

## FAQ

### How many AU is 1 nautical mile?

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

### 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).

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### How long would a ship take to sail to the Sun?

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.

### How many transatlantic crossings equal 1 AU?

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.

### Could a plane reach the Sun?

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.

## Related Articles

- [Why We Measure: The Deepest Urge in Human Civilisation](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/why-we-measure)
- [The Map Is Not the Territory: Why Every Measurement Is Wrong](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-map-is-not-the-territory)
- [Zero: The Most Dangerous Number in Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/zero-the-most-dangerous-number-in-measurement)
- [The Body as a Ruler: Every Measurement Unit That Came From Us](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-body-as-a-ruler)
- [The Speed of Everything: How We Measure From Glaciers to Light](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-speed-of-everything)
- [15 Obscure Measurement Units You've Never Heard Of (But Still Need)](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/obscure-measurement-units-guide)
- [When Measurements Go Wrong - Disasters, Blunders and Happy Accidents](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/when-measurements-go-wrong)
- [The Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Units of Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/stories-behind-measurement-units)
- [Metric vs. Imperial - The Complete Guide to the World's Two Measurement Systems](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/metric-vs-imperial-complete-guide)
- [Length & Distance Conversion Guide - Meters, Feet, Miles & Kilometers](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/length-and-distance-guide)

## See Also

- [Astronomical Units to Nautical Miles](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/astronomical-units-to-nautical-miles/)