Source checked by DailyFact editors

A light-year is about 6 trillion miles

A light-year is the distance light travels in one Earth year, about 6 trillion miles.

More space facts

Why it is true

That is a 6 followed by 12 zeros. Astronomers use the unit because distances in space are so large.

Check the source

We keep the original reference beside the claim so you can inspect the evidence and surrounding context yourself.

Open NASA Space Place

More from space facts

Source checked

A day on Venus is longer than its year

Venus takes about 243 Earth days to rotate once but only about 225 Earth days to orbit the Sun.

See why it is true

Source checked

The space station sees about 16 sunrises a day

The International Space Station circles Earth roughly every 90 minutes, giving its crew about 16 sunrises and sunsets in 24 hours.

See why it is true

Source checked

Sunsets on Mars can appear blue

Near the setting Sun, fine dust in the Martian atmosphere can produce a blue glow instead of the red sunset familiar on Earth.

See why it is true

Give curiosity one minute.

See how DailyFact turns 500,000+ ideas into a simple daily ritual.

Download for Mac