Objects of sizes in different order of magnitude (at inconsistent intervals)
Graphical overview of sizes

The following are examples of orders of magnitude for different lengths.

Overview

ScaleRange (m)UnitExample items
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Subatomic0Gravitational singularity
10−3610−33ℓPFixed value (not a range). Quantum foam, string
10−1810−15amProton, neutron, pion
Atomic to cellular10−1510−12fmAtomic nucleus
10−1210−9pmWavelength of gamma rays and X-rays, hydrogen atom
10−910−6nmDNA helix, virus, wavelength of optical spectrum, transistors used in CPUs
Cellular to human10−610−3μmBacterium, fog water droplet, human hair's diameter
10−31mmMosquito, golf ball, domestic cat, violin, football
Human to astronomical1103mPiano, human, automobile, african bush elephant, sperm whale, football field, Eiffel Tower
103106kmMount Everest, length of Panama Canal and Trans-Siberian Railway, larger asteroid
Astronomical106109MmThe Moon, Earth, one light-second
1091012GmSun, one light-minute, Earth's orbit
10121015TmOrbits of outer planets, Solar System
10151018PmA light-year, the distance to Proxima Centauri
10181021EmGalactic arm
10211024ZmMilky Way, distance to Andromeda Galaxy
10241027YmHuge-LQG, Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall, Observable universe

Detailed list

To help compare different orders of magnitude, the following list describes various lengths between 1.6 × 10 − 35 {\displaystyle 1.6\times 10^{-35}}metres and 10 10 10 122 {\displaystyle 10^{10^{10^{122}}}}metres. Metres are used in these tables to provide a common reference point, but metric prefixes above "k" are not commonly used with metres. So for example, 1.21 Gm would more commonly be written as 1.21 million km or (in scientific notation) 1.21 × 106 km. Interplanetary distances are also commonly measured in astronomical units. Distances on the interstellar or larger scale are typically measured in light-years or parsecs.

Subatomic scale

Factor (m)MultipleValueItem
000Singularity
10−351 Planck length0.0000162qmPlanck length; typical scale of hypothetical loop quantum gravity or size of a hypothetical string and of branes; according to string theory, lengths smaller than this do not make any physical sense. Quantum foam is thought to exist at this scale.[citation needed]
10−241 yoctometre (ym)142 ymEffective cross section radius of 1 MeV neutrinos
10−211 zeptometre (zm)Preons, hypothetical particles proposed as subcomponents of quarks and leptons; the upper bound for the width of a cosmic string in string theory
7 zmEffective cross section radius of high-energy neutrinos
310 zmDe Broglie wavelength of protons at the Large Hadron Collider (4 TeV as of 2012[update])
10−181 attometre (am)Upper limit for the size of quarks and electrons[citation needed]
Sensitivity of the LIGO detector for gravitational waves
Upper bound of the typical size range for "fundamental strings"
10−1710 amRange of the weak force
10−16100 am850 amApproximate charge radius of the proton

Atomic to cellular scale

Factor (m)MultipleValueItem
10−151 femtometre (fm, fermi)1 fmApproximate limit of the gluon-mediated color force between quarks
1.5 fmEffective cross section radius of an 11 MeV proton
2.81794 fmClassical electron radius
3 fmApproximate limit of the meson-mediated nuclear binding force
750 to 822.25 fmLongest wavelength of gamma rays
10−121 picometre (pm)1.75 to 15 fmDiameter range of the atomic nucleus
1 pmDistance between atomic nuclei in a white dwarf
2.4 pmCompton wavelength of electron
5 pmWavelength of shortest X-rays
10−1110 pm28 pmRadius of helium atom
53 pmBohr radius (radius of a hydrogen atom)
10−10100 pm100 pm1 ångström (also covalent radius of sulfur atom)
154 pmLength of a typical covalent bond (C–C)
280 pmAverage size of the water molecule (actual lengths may vary)
500 pmWidth of protein α helix
10−91 nanometre (nm)1nmDiameter of a carbon nanotube diameter of smallest transistor gate (as of 2016)
2nmDiameter of the DNA helix
2.5nmSmallest microprocessor transistor gate oxide thickness (as of January2007[update])[citation needed]
3.4nmLength of a DNA turn (10 bp)
6–10nmThickness of cell membrane
10−810nm10nmUpper range of thickness of cell wall in Gram-negative bacteria
10nmAs of 2016[update], 10 nanometres was the smallest semiconductor device fabrication node
40nmExtreme ultraviolet wavelength
50nmFlying height of the head of a hard disk
10−7100nm121.6nmWavelength of the Lyman-alpha line
120nmTypical diameter of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
400–700nmApproximate wavelength range of visible light

Cellular to human scale

Factor (m)MultipleValueItem
10−61 micrometre (μm) (also called 1 micron)1–4μmTypical length of a bacterium
4μmTypical diameter of spider silk
7μmTypical size of a red blood cell
10−510μm10μmTypical size of a fog, mist, or cloud water droplet
10μmWidth of transistors in the Intel 4004, the world's first commercial microprocessor
12μmWidth of acrylic fiber
17–181μmWidth range of human hair
10−4100μm340μmSize of a pixel on a 17-inch monitor with a resolution of 1024×768
560μmThickness of the central area of a human cornea or, diameter of a grain of salt.
750μmMaximum diameter of Thiomargarita namibiensis, the second largest bacterium ever discovered
10−31 millimetre (mm)~5mmLength of an average flea is 1–10mm (usually <5mm)
2.54mmOne-tenth inch; distance between pins in DIP (dual-inline-package) electronic components
5.70mmApproximate diameter of the projectile in 5.56×45 mm NATO ammunition
10−21 centimetre (cm)20mmApproximate width of an adult human finger
54mm × 86mmDimensions of a credit card, according to the ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 standard
73–75mmDiameter of a baseball, according to Major League Baseball guidelines
10−11 decimetre (dm)120mmDiameter of a compact disc
660mmLength of the longest pine cones, produced by the sugar pine
900mmAverage length of a rapier, a fencing sword

Human to astronomical scale

Planets of the Solar System to scale
Factor (m)MultipleValueItem
1 (100)1 metre (m)1m (exactly)Since 2019, defined as the length of the path travelled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second, where the second is defined by a hyperfine transition frequency of caesium.
2.72mHeight of Robert Wadlow, tallest-known human.
8.38 mLength of a London bus (AEC Routemaster)
1011 decametre (dam)33 mLength of the longest known blue whale
52 mHeight of the Niagara Falls
93.47 mHeight of the Statue of Liberty
1021 hectometre (hm)105 mLength of a typical football field
137 m (147 m)Height (present and original) of the Great Pyramid of Giza
300 mHeight of the Eiffel Tower, one of the famous monuments of Paris
979 mHeight of the Salto Angel in Venezuela, the world's highest free-falling waterfall
1031 kilometre (km)2.3kmLength of the Three Gorges Dam, the largest dam in the world
3.1kmNarrowest width of the Strait of Messina, separating Italy and Sicily
8.848kmHeight of Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth
10410km (1 Myriametre)10.9kmDepth of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest-known point on Earth's surface
27kmCircumference of the Large Hadron Collider, as of May 2010[update] (and still as of November 2025) the largest and highest energy particle accelerator
42.195kmLength of a marathon
105100km100kmThe distance the IAU considers to be the limit to space, called the Karman line
163kmLength of the Suez Canal, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea
491kmLength of the Pyrenees, the mountain range separating Spain and France
600kmThermosphere height
974.6 kmGreatest diameter of the dwarf planet Ceres.
1061 megametre (Mm)2.38 MmDiameter of dwarf planet Pluto, formerly the smallest planet category in the Solar System
3.48 MmDiameter of the Moon
5.2 MmTypical distance covered by the winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans automobile endurance race
6.259 MmLength of the Great Wall of China
6.371 MmAverage radius of Earth
6.378 MmEquatorial radius of Earth
6.6 MmApproximate length of the two longest rivers, the Nile and the Amazon
7.821 MmLength of the Trans-Canada Highway
9.288 MmLength of the Trans-Siberian Railway, longest in the world

Astronomical scale

Factor (m)MultipleValueItem
10710Mm12.756 MmEquatorial diameter of Earth
20.004 MmLength of a meridian on Earth (distance between Earth's poles along the surface)
40.075 MmLength of Earth's equator
108100Mm142.984 MmDiameter of Jupiter
299.792 MmDistance traveled by light in vacuum in one second (a light-second, exactly 299,792,458 m by definition of the speed of light)
384.4 MmMoon's orbital distance from Earth
1091 gigametre (Gm)1.39GmDiameter of the Sun
5.15GmGreatest mileage ever recorded by a car (3.2 million miles by a 1966 Volvo P-1800S)
101010 Gm18 GmApproximately one light-minute
1011100 Gm150Gm1 astronomical unit (au); mean distance between Earth and Sun
10121 terametre (Tm)1.3TmOptical diameter of Betelgeuse
1.4TmOrbital distance of Saturn from Sun
2TmEstimated optical diameter of VY Canis Majoris, one of the largest-known stars
5.9TmOrbital distance of Pluto from the Sun
~ 7.5TmOuter boundary of the Kuiper belt
101310 TmDiameter of the Solar System as a whole
16.09TmTotal length of DNA molecules in all cells of an adult human body
25.46TmDistance of the Voyager 1 spacecraft from Sun (as of Dec 2025[update]), the farthest man-made object so far
62.03TmEstimated radius of the event horizon of the supermassive black hole in NGC 4889, the largest-known black hole to date
1014100 Tm180TmSize of the debris disk around the star 51 Ophiuchi
10151 petametre (Pm)~7.5PmSupposed outer boundary of the Oort cloud (~ 50,000 au)
9.461PmDistance traveled by light in vacuum in one year; at its current speed, Voyager 1 would need 17,500 years to travel this distance
101610 Pm30.857Pm1 parsec
39.9PmDistance to nearest star (Proxima Centauri)
41.3PmAs of December 2025, distance to nearest discovered extrasolar planet (Alpha Centauri Bc)
1017100 Pm193PmAs of October 2010, distance to nearest discovered extrasolar planet with potential to support life as presently defined by science (Gliese 581 d)
615PmApproximate radius of humanity's radio bubble, caused by high-power TV broadcasts leaking through the atmosphere into outer space
10181 exametre (Em)1.9EmDistance to nearby solar twin (HIP 56948), a star with properties virtually identical to the Sun
101910 Em9.46 EmAverage thickness of Milky Way Galaxy (1,000 to 3,000 ly by 21cm observations)
1020100 Em113.5 EmThickness of Milky Way Galaxy's gaseous disk
10211 zettametre (Zm)
1.54ZmDistance to SN 1987A, the most recent naked eye supernova
1.62ZmDistance to the Large Magellanic Cloud (a dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way)
1.66ZmDistance to the Small Magellanic Cloud (another dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way)
1.9ZmDiameter of galactic disk of Milky Way Galaxy
6.15ZmDiameter of the low surface brightness disc halo of the giant spiral galaxy Malin 1
102210 Zm13.25ZmRadius of the diffuse stellar halo of IC 1101, one of the largest-known galaxies
24ZmDistance to Andromeda Galaxy
30.857Zm1 megaparsec
50ZmDiameter of Local Group of galaxies
1023100 Zm300–600ZmDistance to Virgo Cluster of galaxies
10241 yottametre (Ym)2.19YmDiameter of the Local Supercluster and the largest voids and filaments
2.8YmEnd of Greatness
~5YmDiameter of the Horologium Supercluster
9.461YmDiameter of the Pisces–Cetus Supercluster Complex, the supercluster complex which includes Earth
102510 Ym13YmLength of the Sloan Great Wall, a giant wall of galaxies (galactic filament)
30.857Ym1 gigaparsec
37.84YmLength of the Huge-LQG, a group of 73 quasars
1026100 Ym95YmEstimated light travel distance to certain quasars. Length of the Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall, a colossal wall of galaxies, the largest and the most massive structure in the observable universe as of 2014
127YmEstimated light travel distance to GN-z11, the most distant object ever observed
870YmApproximate diameter (comoving distance) of the visible universe
10271 ronnametre (Rm)1.2RmLower bound of the (possibly infinite) radius of the universe, if it is a 3-sphere, according to one estimate using the WMAP data at 95% confidence It equivalently implies that there are at minimum 21 particle horizon-sized volumes in the universe.
10 10 115 {\displaystyle 10^{10^{115}}}10 10 115 {\displaystyle 10^{10^{115}}} m10 10 115 {\displaystyle 10^{10^{115}}} mAccording to the laws of probability, the distance one must travel until one encounters a volume of space identical to our observable universe with conditions identical to our own.
10 10 10 122 {\displaystyle 10^{10^{10^{122}}}}10 10 10 122 {\displaystyle 10^{10^{10^{122}}}} m10 10 10 122 {\displaystyle 10^{10^{10^{122}}}} mMaximum size of universe after cosmological inflation, implied by one resolution of the No-Boundary Proposal

1 quectometre and less

The quectometre (SI symbol: qm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−30metres. To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths shorter than 10−30 m (1 qm).

  • 0 quectometres (0 meters) — gravitational singularity
  • 1.6 × 10−5 quectometres (1.6 × 10−35 metres) – the Planck length (Measures of distance shorter than this do not make physical sense, according to current theories of physics.)
  • 1 qm – 1 quectometre, the smallest named subdivision of the metre in the SI base unit of length, one nonillionth of a metre.

1 rontometre

The rontometre (SI symbol: rm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−27metres.

10 rontometres

1 yoctometre

The yoctometre (SI symbol: ym) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−24metres.

1 zeptometre

The zeptometre (SI symbol: zm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−21metres. To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−21 m and 10−20 m (1 zm and 10 zm).

10 zeptometres

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−20 m and 10−19 m (10 zm and 100 zm).

100 zeptometres

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−19 m and 10−18 m (100 zm and 1 am).

1 attometre

The attometre (SI symbol: am) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−18metres. To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−18 m and 10−17 m (1 am and 10 am).

10 attometres

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−17 m and 10−16 m (10 am and 100 am).

  • 10–100 am – range of the weak force
  • 86 am – charge radius of a Bottom eta meson

100 attometres

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−16 m and 10−15 m (100 am and 1 fm).

  • 831 am – approximate proton radius

1 femtometre (or 1 fermi)

The femtometre (SI symbol: fm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−15metres. In particle physics, this unit is sometimes called a fermi, also with abbreviation "fm". To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−15 metres and 10−14 metres (1 femtometre and 10 fm).

10 femtometres

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−14 m and 10−13 m (10 fm and 100 fm).

100 femtometres

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−13 m and 10−12 m (100 fm and 1 pm).

  • 570 fm – typical distance from the atomic nucleus of the two innermost electrons (electrons in the 1s shell) in the uranium atom, the heaviest naturally occurring atom

1 picometre

The picometre (SI symbol: pm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−12metres (⁠1/1000000000000⁠m=0.000000000001m). To help compare different orders of magnitude this section lists lengths between 10−12 and 10−11 m (1 pm and 10 pm).

10 picometres

To help compare different orders of magnitude this section lists lengths between 10−11 and 10−10 m (10 pm and 100 pm).

100 picometres

To help compare different orders of magnitude this section lists lengths between 10−10 and 10−9 m (100pm and 1nm; 1Å and 10Å).

1 nanometre

The nanometre (SI symbol: nm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−9metres (⁠1/1000000000⁠m=0.000000001m). To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−9 and 10−8 m (1nm and 10nm).

10 nanometres

Comparison of sizes of semiconductor manufacturing process nodes with some microscopic objects and visible light wavelengths. At this scale, the width of a human hair is about 10 times that of the image.

To help compare different orders of magnitude this section lists lengths between 10−8 and 10−7 m (10nm and 100nm).

100 nanometres

Comparison of sizes of semiconductor manufacturing process nodes with some microscopic objects and visible light wavelengths. At this scale, the width of a human hair is about 10 times that of the image.

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−7 and 10−6 m (100 nm and 1μm).

  • 100nm – greatest particle size that can fit through a surgical mask
  • 100nm – 90% of particles in wood smoke are smaller than this.[citation needed]
  • 120nm – greatest particle size that can fit through a ULPA filter
  • 120nm – diameter of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • 120nm – approximate diameter of SARS-CoV-2
  • 125nm – standard depth of pits on compact discs (width: 500nm, length: 850nm to 3.5μm)
  • 180nm – typical length of the rabies virus
  • 200nm — typical diameter of the chickenpox virus
  • 200nm – typical size of a Mycoplasma bacterium, among the smallest bacteria
  • 300nm – greatest particle size that can fit through a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter (N100 removes up to 99.97% at 300 nm, N95 removes up to 95% at 300 nm)
  • 300–400nm – near ultraviolet wavelength
  • 400 nm – length of the capsid of a Mimivirus, one of the largest and most complex viruses.
  • 400–420nm – wavelength of violet light (see Color and Visible spectrum)
  • 420–440nm – wavelength of indigo light
  • 440–500nm – wavelength of blue light
  • 500–520nm – wavelength of cyan light
  • 520–565nm – wavelength of green light
  • 565–590nm – wavelength of yellow light
  • 590–625nm – wavelength of orange light
  • 625–700nm – wavelength of red light
  • 700 nm–1.4 μm – wavelength of near-infrared radiation

1 micrometre (or 1 micron)

The silk for a spider's web is 5–7μm (0.00020–0.00028in) wide.

The micrometre (SI symbol: μm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−6metres (⁠1/1000000⁠m=0.000001m). To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists some items with lengths between 10−6 and 10−5 m (between 1 and 10 micrometres, or μm).

10 micrometres

Fog particles are around 10–50μm (0.00039–0.00197in) long.

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−5 m and 10−4 m (10 μm and 100μm).

  • 10 μm – width of cotton fibre
  • 10 μm – tolerance of the mold used to manufacture a Lego brick
  • 10 μm – transistor width of the Intel 4004, the world's first commercial microprocessor
  • 10 μm – mean longest dimension of a human red blood cell[citation needed]
  • 5–20 μm – dust mite excreta
  • 10.6 μm – wavelength of light emitted by a carbon dioxide laser
  • 15 μm – width of silk fibre[citation needed]
  • 17 μm – minimum width of a strand of human hair
  • 17.6 μm – one twip, a unit of length in typography
  • 10 to 55 μm – width of wool fibre
  • 20 μm — diameter of a cloud droplet
  • 25 μm — diameter of grass pollen
  • 25.4 μm – 1/1,000inch, commonly referred to as 1 mil in the U.S. and 1 thou in the U.K.
  • 30 μm – length of a human skin cell
  • 30.8568 μm – 1 zeptoparsec
  • 50 μm – typical length of Euglena gracilis, a flagellate protist
  • 50 μm – typical length of a human liver cell, an average-sized body cell[citation needed]
  • 50 μm – length of a silt particle
  • 60 μm – length of a human sperm cell
  • 78μm — width of a pixel on the display of the iPhone 4, marketed as Retina Display
  • 70 to 180 μm – thickness of paper

100 micrometres

A paramecium is around 300μm (0.012in) long.

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−4 m and 10−3 m (100μm and 1mm). The term myriometre (abbr. mom, equivalent to 100 micrometres; frequently confused with the myriametre, 10 kilometres) is deprecated; the decimal metric prefix myrio- is obsolete and was not included among the prefixes when the International System of Units was introduced in 1960.

  • 100 μm – 1/10 of a millimetre
  • 100 μm – 0.00394inches
  • 100 μm – smallest distance that can be seen with the naked eye
  • 100 μm – average diameter of a strand of human hair
  • 100 μm – thickness of a coat of paint
  • 100 μm – length of a dust particle
  • 120 μm – the geometric mean of the Planck length and the diameter of the observable universe: √8.8 × 1026 m × 1.6 × 10−35 m
  • 120 μm – diameter of a human ovum
  • 139 µm - the size of Dicopomorpha echmepterygis, the smallest insect
  • 170μm – length of the largest mammalian sperm cell (rat)
  • 170 μm – length of the largest sperm cell in nature, belonging to the Drosophila bifurca fruit fly
  • 181 μm – maximum width of a strand of human hair
  • 100–400 μm – length of Demodex mites living in human hair follicles
  • 175–200 μm – typical thickness of a solar cell.
  • 200 μm – typical length of Paramecium caudatum, a ciliate protist
  • 200 μm – nominal width of the smallest commonly available mechanical pencil lead (0.2mm)
  • 250–300 μm – length of a dust mite
  • 340 μm – length of a pixel on a 17-inch monitor with a resolution of 1024×768
  • 500 μm – typical length of Amoeba proteus, an amoeboid protist
  • 500 μm – length of a tardigrade
  • 500 μm – MEMS micro-engine
  • 500 μm – average length of a grain of sand
  • 500 μm – average length of a grain of salt
  • 500 μm – average length of a grain of sugar
  • 560 μm – thickness of the central area of a human cornea
  • 750 μm – diameter of a Thiomargarita namibiensis, which used to be considered the largest bacteria known
  • 760 μm – thickness of an identification card

1 millimetre

An average red ant is about 5mm (0.20in) long.

The millimetre (SI symbol: mm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−3metres (⁠1/1000⁠m=0.001m). To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−3 m and 10−2 m (1mm and 1cm).

  • 1.0mm – 1/1,000 of a metre
  • 1.0mm – 0.03937 inches or 5/127 (exactly)
  • 1.0mm – side of a square of area 1 mm²
  • 1.0mm – diameter of a pinhead
  • 1.5mm – average length of a flea
  • 2mm — diameter of an average rain droplet
  • 2.54mm – distance between pins on old dual in-line package (DIP) electronic components
  • 5mm – length of an average red ant
  • 5mm – diameter of an average grain of rice
  • 5.56×45 mm NATO – standard ammunition size
  • 6mm – approximate width of a pencil
  • 7mm – length of a Paedophryne amauensis, the smallest-known vertebrate
  • 7mm – length of a human tooth
  • 7.1mm – length of a sunflower seed
  • 7.62×51 mm NATO – common military ammunition size
  • 8mm – width of old-format home movie film
  • 8mm – length of a Paedocypris progenetica, the smallest-known fish

1 centimetre

An average human fingernail is 1cm (0.39in) wide

The centimetre (SI symbol: cm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−2metres (⁠1/100⁠m=0.01m). To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10−2 m and 10−1 m (1cm and 1dm).

  • 1cm – 10 millimetres
  • 1cm – 0.39 inches
  • 1cm – edge of a square of area 1 cm2
  • 1cm – edge of a cube of volume 1 mL
  • 1cm – length of a coffee bean
  • 1cm – approximate width of average fingernail
  • 1.2cm – length of a bee
  • 1.2cm – diameter of a die
  • 1.5cm – length of a very large mosquito
  • 1.6cm – length of a Jaragua Sphaero, a very small reptile
  • 1.7cm – length of a Thorius arboreus, the smallest salamander
  • 1.77cm – approximate diameter of a black hole the mass of earth.
  • 2cm – approximate width of an adult human finger
  • 2 cm – upper bound of the length of the largest bacteria, the Thiomargarita magnifica.
  • 2.4cm – diameter of a human eye
  • 2.54cm – 1 inch
  • 3.08568cm – 1 attoparsec
  • 3.4cm – length of a quail egg
  • 3.5cm – width of film commonly used in motion pictures and still photography
  • 3.78cm – amount of distance the Moon moves away from Earth each year
  • 4.3cm – minimum diameter of a golf ball
  • 5cm – usual diameter of a chicken egg
  • 5cm – height of a Etruscan shrew, the smallest-known mammal
  • 5.08cm – 2 inches,
  • 5.5cm – height of a hummingbird, the smallest-known bird
  • 5.5 × 5.5 × 5.5cm – dimensions of a standard 3x3x3 Rubik's cube
  • 6.1cm – average height of an apple
  • 7.3–7.5cm – diameter of a baseball
  • 8.6cm × 5.4cm – dimensions of a standard credit card (also called CR80)
  • 9cm – length of a speckled padloper, the smallest-known turtle

1 decimetre

An adult human foot is about 28cm (11in) long.

The decimetre (SI symbol: dm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−1metres (⁠1/10⁠m=0.1m). To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10 centimetres and 100 centimetres (10−1 metre and 1metre).

Conversions

10 centimetres (abbreviated to 10cm) is equal to:

Wavelengths

Human-defined scales and structures

  • 10cm = 1 dm — length of a kazoo instrument
  • 10.16cm = 1.016 dm – 1 hand used in measuring height of horses (4inches)
  • 12cm = 1.2 dm – diameter of a compact disc (CD) (120mm)
  • 9-12cm = 0.9-1.2dm — average height of a soda can
  • 15cm = 1.5 dm – length of a Bic pen with cap on
  • 20cm = 2 dm — height of a water bottle
  • 22cm = 2.2 dm – diameter of a typical association football (soccer ball)
  • 30cm = 3 dm – typical school-use ruler length (300mm)
  • 30.48cm = 3.048 dm – 1 foot (measure)
  • 60cm = 6 dm – standard depth (front to back) of a domestic kitchen worktop in Europe (600mm)
  • 60cm = 6 dm — diameter of the LAGEOS satellite
  • 90cm = 9 dm – average length of a rapier, a fencing sword
  • 91cm = 9.1 dm — length of a shopping cart
  • 91.44cm = 9.144 dm – one yard (measure)

Nature

  • 10cm = 1 dm – diameter of the human cervix upon entering the second stage of labour
  • 11cm = 1.1 dm – length of an average potato in the U.S.
  • 13cm = 1.3 dm – body length of a Goliath birdeater
  • 18.1cm = 1.81 dm – Maximum overall length of the Hercules beetle, one of the largest beetle species
  • 19cm = 1.9 dm — length of an average male human hand
  • 19cm = 1.9 dm – length of a banana
  • 20cm = 2 dm — diameter of the Syringammina, one of the largest single-celled organisms
  • 20cm = 2 dm - average height of the Venus flytrap
  • 26.3cm = 2.6 dm – length of an average male human foot
  • 29.98cm = 2.998 dm – distance light in vacuum travels in one nanosecond
  • 30cm = 3.0 dm – maximum leg length of a Goliath birdeater
  • 31cm = 3.1 dm – wingspan of largest butterfly species Ornithoptera alexandrae
  • 32cm – length of the Goliath frog, the world's largest frog
  • 46cm = 4.6 dm – length of an average domestic cat
  • 46cm = 4.6 dm – skull length of a Kelenken, a terror bird
  • 50 to 65cm = 5 to 6.5 dm – a coati's tail
  • 66cm = 6.6 dm – length of the longest pine cones (produced by the sugar pine)
  • 80cm = 8 dm - height of a chimpanzee
  • 90cm = 9 dm — length of a capybara, the largest rodent

Astronomical

1 metre

Leonardo da Vinci drew the Vitruvian Man within a square of side 1.83m (6ft 0in) and a circle about 1.2m (3ft 11in) in radius.

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between one metre and ten metres. Light, in vacuum, travels 1 metre in 1⁄299,792,458, or 3.3356409519815E-9 of a second.

Conversions

1 metre is:

Human-defined scales and structures

  • 1 m – approximate height to the top part of a doorknob on a door
  • 1 m – diameter of a very large beach ball
  • 1 m – height of a typical washing machine
  • 1.29 m – length of the Cross Island Chapel, the smallest church in the world
  • 1.4 m – length of a Peel P50, the world's smallest car
  • 1.4 m – length of a pool noodle
  • 1.435 m – standard gauge of railway track used by about 60% of railways in the world = 4ft 81⁄2 in
  • 1.5 m – height of the Lasko pedestal fan
  • 1.8 m – height of an average refrigerator
  • 1.9 m – height of a vending machine
  • 2 m – typical height of an average door
  • 2.5 m – distance from the floor to the ceiling in an average residential house
  • 2.7 m – length of the Starr Bumble Bee II, the smallest plane
  • 2.77–3.44 m – wavelength of the broadcast radio FM band 87–108MHz
  • 2.8 m – height of a telephone booth
  • 3.05 m – the length of an old Mini
  • 6 m – height of an average typical house
  • 8 m – length of the Tsar Bomba, the largest bomb ever detonated
  • 8.38 m – the length of a London Bus (AEC Routemaster)

Sports

Nature

Astronomical

  • 3 to 6 m – approximate diameter of 2003 SQ222, a meteoroid
  • 4.1 m – diameter of 2008 TC3, a small asteroid that flew into the Earth's atmosphere on 7 October 2008

1 decametre

A blue whale has been measured as 33m (108ft) long; this drawing compares its length to that of a human diver and a dolphin.

The decametre (SI symbol: dam) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10metres (101m). To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10 and 100 metres.

Conversions

10 metres (very rarely termed a decametre which is abbreviated as dam) is equal to:

Human-defined scales and structures

Sports

Comparison of playing surfaces of various sports, excluding run-offs
  • 11 metres – approximate width of a doubles tennis court
  • 15 metres – width of a standard FIBA basketball court
  • 15.24 metres – width of an NBA basketball court (50feet)
  • 18.44 metres – distance between the front of the pitcher's rubber and the rear point of home plate on a baseball field (60 feet, 6inches)
  • 20 metres – length of cricket pitch (22 yards)
  • 27.43 metres – distance between bases on a baseball field (90feet)
  • 28 metres – length of a standard FIBA basketball court
  • 28.65 metres – length of an NBA basketball court (94feet)
  • 49 metres – width of an American football field (531⁄3 yards)
  • 59.436 metres – width of a Canadian football field (65 yards)
  • 70 metres – typical width of an association football field
  • 91 metres – length of an American football field (100 yards, measured between the goal lines)

Nature

  • 10 metres – average length of human digestive tract[citation needed]
  • 12 metres – height of a standard saguaro cactus
  • 12 metres – moderate length of a whale shark, largest living fish
  • 12 metres – wingspan of a Quetzalcoatlus, a pterosaur
  • 12 metres – length of a Sarcosuchus, the largest crocodile ever
  • 12.8 metres – length of a Titanoboa, the largest snake to have ever lived
  • 13 metres – approximate length of a giant squid and colossal squid, the largest living invertebrates
  • 13 metres – length of a Tyrannosaurus, the most popular dinosaur
  • 14 metres – typical length of a Whale shark, the largest fish today
  • 15 metres – approximate distance the tropical circles of latitude are moving towards the equator and the polar circles are moving towards the poles each year due to a natural, gradual decrease in the Earth's axial tilt
  • 16 metres – length of a sperm whale, the largest toothed whale
  • 17 metres – length of an average-sized Megalodon, widely considered to be the largest shark to ever roam the waters
  • 18 metres – height of a Sauroposeidon, the tallest-known dinosaur
  • 18 metres – maximum length of Spinosaurus, the largest land-living carnivore ever existed
  • 20 metres – length of a Leedsichthys, the largest-known fish to have lived
  • 21 metres – height of High Force waterfall in England
  • 30.5 metres – length of the lion's mane jellyfish, the largest jellyfish in the world
  • 33 metres – length of a blue whale, the largest animal on earth, living or extinct, in terms of mass
  • 35 metres – length of an Argentinosaurus, the second-longest dinosaur
  • 39 metres – length of a Supersaurus, the longest-known dinosaur and longest vertebrate
  • 40 metres – supposed length of Maraapunisaurus
  • 44 metres – potential length of Bruhathkayosaurus in studies of 2023
  • 52 metres – height of Niagara Falls
  • 55 metres – length of a bootlace worm, the longest-known animal
  • 58 metres – possible length of an Amphicoelias
  • 66 metres – highest possible sea level rise due to a complete melting of all ice on Earth
  • 83 metres – height of a western hemlock
  • 84 metres – height of General Sherman, the largest tree by volume in the world

Astronomical

  • 30.8568 metres – 1 femtoparsec
  • 11 metres – diameter of 1998 KY26, a rapidly spinning asteroid

1 hectometre

The Great Pyramid of Giza is 138.8m (455ft) high.
British driver location sign and location marker post on the M27 in Hampshire. The location marker posts are installed at 100-metre intervals.

The hectometre (SI symbol: hm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 100metres (102m). To compare different orders of magnitude this section lists lengths between 100 metres and 1,000 metres (1 kilometre).

Conversions

100 metres (sometimes termed a hectometre) is equal to:

Human-defined scales and structures

Sports

  • 100 metres – the distance a very fast human can run in about 10 seconds
  • 100.584 metres – length of a Canadian football field between the goal lines (110 yards)
  • 91.5 metres – 137 metres – length of a soccer field
  • 105 metres – length of football pitch (UEFA stadium categories 3 and 4)
  • 105 metres – length of a typical football field
  • 109.73 metres – total length of an American football field (120 yards, including the end zones)
  • 110 to 150 metres – the width of an Australian football field
  • 135 to 185 metres – the length of an Australian football field
  • 137.16 metres – total length of a Canadian football field, including the end zones (150 yards)

Nature

  • 115.5 metres – height of the world's tallest tree in 2007, the Hyperion sequoia
  • 310 metres – maximum depth of Lake Geneva
  • 340 metres – distance sound travels in air at sea level in one second; see Speed of sound
  • 947 metres – height of the Tugela Falls, the highest waterfall in Africa
  • 979 metres – height of the Angel Falls in Venezuela, the world's highest free-falling waterfall

Astronomical

1 kilometre

Mount Fuji is 3.776 kilometres (2.346mi) high.

The kilometre (SI symbol: km) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000metres (103m). To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 1kilometre and 10kilometres (103 and 104 metres).

Conversions

1 kilometre (unit symbol km) is equal to:

Human-defined scales and structures

Nature

  • 1.5km – distance sound travels in water in one second

Geographical

Astronomical

10 kilometres (1 myriametre)

The Strait of Gibraltar is 13km (8.1mi) wide.

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10 and 100 kilometres (104 to 105 metres). The myriametre (sometimes also spelled myriometre; 10,000 metres) is a deprecated unit name; the decimal metric prefix myria- (sometimes also written as myrio-) is obsolete and was not included among the prefixes when the International System of Units was introduced in 1960.

Conversions

10 kilometres is equal to:

Distance marker on the Rhine: 36 (XXXVI) myriametres from Basel. The stated distance is 360km (220mi); the comma is the decimal separator in Germany.

Sports

Human-defined scales and structures

Geographical

Astronomical

100 kilometres

The Suez Canal is 163km (101mi) long.

A length of 100 kilometres (about 62 miles), as a rough amount, is relatively common in measurements on Earth and for some astronomical objects. It is the altitude at which the FAI defines spaceflight to begin.

To help compare orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 100 and 1,000 kilometres (105 and 106 metres).

Conversions

A distance of 100 kilometres is approximately 62 miles (or 62.137 miles exactly).

Human-defined scales and structures

Geographical

Astronomical

1 megametre

Small planets, the Moon and dwarf planets in the Solar System have diameters from one to ten million metres. Top row: Mars (left), Mercury (right); bottom row: Moon (left), Pluto (center), and Haumea (right), to scale.

The megametre (SI symbol: Mm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000000metres (106m). To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths starting at 106 m (1 Mm or 1,000 km).

Conversions

1 megametre is equal to:

  • 1000 km
  • 106m (one million metres)
  • approximately 621.37 miles

Human-defined scales and structures

Sports

Geographical

Astronomical

10 megametres

Planets from Venus up to Uranus have diameters from ten to one hundred million metres. Top row: Uranus (left), Neptune (right); middle row: Earth (left), Sirius B (center), and Venus (right), to scale.

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths starting at 107 metres (10 megametres or 10,000 kilometres).

Conversions

10 megametres (10 Mm) is

Human-defined scales and structures

Geographical

Astronomical

100 megametres

The Earth-Moon orbit, Saturn, OGLE-TR-122b, Jupiter, and other objects, to scale. Click on image for detailed view and links to other length scales.
Scale model at megametres of the main Solar System bodies

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths starting at 108 metres (100 megametres or 100,000 kilometres or 62,150 miles).

1 gigametre

13 things in the gigametre group
Upper part: Gamma Orionis, Algol B, the Sun (centre), and other objects to scale.

The gigametre (SI symbol: Gm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000000000metres (109m). To help compare different distances this section lists lengths starting at 109 metres (1 gigametre (Gm) or 1 billion metres).

10 gigametres

Rigel and Aldebaran (top left and right) compared to smaller stars, the Sun (very small dot in lower middle, with orbit of Mercury as yellow ellipse) and transparent sphere with radius of one light-minute

To help compare different distances this section lists lengths starting at 1010 metres (10 gigametres (Gm) or 10 million kilometres, or 0.07 astronomical units).

100 gigametres

From largest to smallest: Jupiter's orbit, red supergiant star Betelgeuse, Mars' orbit, Earth's orbit, star R Doradus, and orbits of Venus, Mercury. Inside R Doradus's depiction are the blue supergiant star Rigel and red giant star Aldebaran. The faint yellow glow around the Sun represents one light-minute. Click image to see more details and links to their scales.

To help compare distances at different orders of magnitude this section lists lengths starting at 1011 metres (100 gigametre or 100 million kilometres or 0.7 astronomical units).

  • 103 Gm (0.69 au) – diameter of Rigel
  • 109 Gm (0.7 au) – distance between Venus and the Sun
  • 149.6 Gm (93.0 million mi; 1.0 au) – average distance between the Earth and the Sun – the original definition of the astronomical unit
  • 163 Gm (1.09 au) – diameter of Deneb, a blue supergiant
  • 228 Gm (1.5 au) – distance between Mars and the Sun
  • 255 Gm (1.7 au) – diameter of Enif, a small red supergiant star in the constellation Pegasus
  • 511 Gm (3.4 au) – average diameter of Mira, a pulsating red giant and the progenitor of the Mira variables. It is an asymptotic giant branch star.
  • 570 Gm (3.8 au) – length of the tail of Comet Hyakutake measured by Ulysses; the actual value could be much higher
  • 590 Gm (3.9 au) – diameter of the Pistol Star, a blue hypergiant star
  • 591 Gm (4.0 au) – minimum distance between the Earth and Jupiter
  • 780 Gm (5.2 au) – average distance between Jupiter and the Sun
  • 785 Gm (5.25 au) – diameter of Rho Cassiopeiae, a rare yellow hypergiant star
  • 947 Gm (6.4 au) – diameter of Antares A
  • 965 Gm (6.4 au) – maximum distance between the Earth and Jupiter

1 terametre

Eight things in the terametre group
Comparison of size of the Kuiper belt (large faint torus) with the star VY Canis Majoris (within Saturn's orbit), Betelgeuse (inside Jupiter's orbit) and R Doradus (small central red sphere) together with the orbits of Neptune and Uranus, to scale. The yellow ellipses represent the orbits of each planet and the dwarf planet Pluto.

The terametre (SI symbol: Tm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000000000000metres (1012m). To help compare different distances, this section lists lengths starting at 1012 m (1 Tm or 1 billion km or 6.7 astronomical units).

  • ≈1 Tm – 6.7 au – diameter of the red supergiant Betelgeuse based on multiple angular diameter estimates
  • 1.032 Tm – 6.9 au – diameter of the blue hypergiant Eta Carinae (at optical depth 2/3)
  • 1.079 Tm – 7.2 au – one light-hour
  • 1.4 Tm – 9.5 au – average distance between Saturn and the Sun
  • 1.47 Tm – 9.9 au – diameter of HR 5171 A, a yellow hypergiant star
  • 1.5 Tm – 10 au – estimated diameter of VV Cephei A, a red hypergiant with a blue dwarf companion.
  • 1.75 Tm – 11.7 au – estimated diameter of Mu Cephei, a red supergiant (possibly hypergiant) among the largest-known stars.
  • 2 Tm – 13.2 au – estimated diameter of VY Canis Majoris, a red hypergiant that is among the largest-known stars
  • 2.1 Tm – 14.2 au – estimated diameter of RSGC1-FO1, the largest star in the Galaxy.
  • 2.143 Tm – 14.3 au – estimated diameter of WOH G64, possibly the largest star known in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
  • 2.9 Tm – 19.4 au – average distance between Uranus and the Sun
  • 4.4 Tm – 29.4 au – perihelion distance of Pluto
  • 4.5 Tm – 30.1 au – average distance between Neptune and the Sun
  • 4.5 Tm – 30.1 au – inner radius of the Kuiper belt
  • 5.7 Tm – 38.1 au – perihelion distance of Eris
  • 6.0 Tm – 40.5 au – distance from Earth at which the Pale Blue Dot photograph was taken.
  • 7.3 Tm – 48.8 au – aphelion distance of Pluto
  • 7.5 Tm – 50.1 au – outer boundary of the Kuiper Belt

10 terametres

Sedna's orbit (left) is longer than 100 Tm, but other lengths are between 10 and 100 Tm: Comet Hale-Bopp's orbit (lower, faint orange); one light-day (yellow spherical shell with yellow Vernal point arrow as radius); the heliosphere's termination shock (blue shell); and other arrows show positions of Voyager 1 (red) and Pioneer 10 (green). Click on image for larger view and links to other scales.

To help compare different distances this section lists lengths starting at 1013 m (10 Tm or 10 billion km or 67 astronomical units).

  • 10 Tm – 67 AU – diameter of a hypothetical quasi-star
  • 11.1 Tm – 74.2 AU – distance that Voyager 1 began detecting returning particles from termination shock
  • 11.4 Tm – 76.2 AU – perihelion distance of 90377 Sedna
  • 12.1 Tm – 70 to 90 AU – distance to termination shock (Voyager 1 crossed at 94 AU)
  • 12.9 Tm – 86.3 AU – distance to 90377 Sedna in March 2014
  • 13.2 Tm – 88.6 AU – distance to Pioneer 11 in March 2014
  • 14.1 Tm – 94.3 AU – estimated radius of the Solar System
  • 14.4 Tm – 96.4 AU – distance to Eris in March 2014 (now near its aphelion)
  • 15.1 Tm – 101 AU – distance to heliosheath
  • 16.5 Tm – 111 AU – distance to Pioneer 10 as of March 2014
  • 16.6 Tm – 111.2 AU – distance to Voyager 2 as of May 2016
  • 18 Tm – 123.5 AU – distance between the Sun to the farthest dwarf planet in the Solar System, the Farout 2018 VG18
  • 19.5 Tm – 132.7 AU – distance between the Sun to one of the farthest known objects in the solar system, 2018 AG37 (FarFarOut)
  • 20.0 Tm – 135 AU – distance to Voyager 1 as of May 2016
  • 20.6 Tm – 138 AU – distance to Voyager 1 as of late February 2017
  • 21 Tm – 140 AU – distance to Voyager 2 as of August 2025
  • 21.1 Tm – 141 AU – distance to Voyager 1 as of November 2017
  • 21.4 Tm – 142.8 AU – distance to Voyager 2 as of February 2026
  • 25.1 Tm – 168 AU – distance to Voyager 1 as of August 2025
  • 25.7 Tm – 171.7 AU – distance to Voyager 1 as of February 2026
  • 25.9 Tm – 173 AU – one light-day
  • 30.8568 Tm – 206.3 AU – 1 milliparsec
  • 55.7 Tm – 371 AU – aphelion distance of the comet Hale-Bopp

100 terametres

The largest yellow sphere indicates one light month distance from the Sun. Click the image for larger view, more details and links to other scales.

To help compare different distances this section lists lengths starting at 1014 m (100 Tm or 100 billion km or 670 astronomical units).

1 petametre

Largest circle with yellow arrow indicates one light-year from Sun; Cat's Eye Nebula on left and Barnard 68 in middle are depicted in front of Comet 1910 A1's orbit. Click image for larger view, details and links to other scales.

The petametre (SI symbol: Pm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1015metres. To help compare different distances this section lists lengths starting at 1015 m (1 Pm or 1 trillion km or 6685 astronomical units (AU) or 0.11 light-years).

  • 1.0 Pm = 0.105702341 light-years
  • 1.9 Pm ± 0.5 Pm = 12,000 AU = 0.2 light-year radius of Cat's Eye Nebula's inner core
  • 3.08568 Pm = 20,626 AU = 1 deciparsec
  • 4.7 Pm = 30,000 AU = half-light-year diameter of Bok globule Barnard 68
  • 7.5 Pm – 50,000 AU – possible outer boundary of Oort cloud (other estimates are 75,000 to 125,000 or even 189,000 AU (1.18, 2, and 3 light-years, respectively))
  • 9.5 Pm – 63,241.1 AU – one light-year, the distance light travels in one year
  • 9.9 Pm – 66,000 AU – aphelion distance of the C/1999 F1 (Catalina)

10 petametres

Objects with size order of magnitude 1e16m: Ten light-years (94.6 Pm) radius circle with yellow Vernal Point arrow; Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635), left; Dumbbell Nebula (NGC 6853), right; one light-year shell lower right with the smaller Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC_6543) and Barnard 68 adjacent.
1e16m lengths: Ten light-years (94.6 Pm) yellow shell; Sirius below right; BL Ceti below left; Proxima and Alpha Centauri upper right; light-year shell with Comet 1910 A1's orbit inside top right

To help compare different distances this section lists lengths starting at 1016 m (10 Pm or 66,800 AU, 1.06 light-years).

  • 15 Pm – 1.59 light-years – possible outer radius of Oort cloud
  • 20 Pm – 2.11 light-years – maximum extent of influence of the Sun's gravitational field[citation needed]
  • 30.9 Pm – 3.26 light-years – 1 parsec
  • 39.9 Pm – 4.22 light-years – distance to Proxima Centauri (nearest star to Sun)
  • 81.3 Pm – 8.59 light-years – distance to Sirius
  • 94.6 Pm – 1 light-decade

100 petametres

Lengths with order of magnitude 1e17m: yellow Vernal Point arrow traces hundred light-year radius circle with smaller ten light-year circle at right; globular cluster Messier 5 in background; 12 light-year radius Orion Nebula middle right; 50-light-year-wide view of the Carina Nebula bottom left; Pleiades cluster and Bubble nebula with similar diameters each around 10 light-years bottom right; grey arrows show distances from Sun to stars Aldebaran (65 light-years) and Vega (25 light-years)

To help compare different distances this section lists lengths between 1017 m (100 Pm or 11 light-years) and 1018 m (106 light-years).

  • 110 Pm – 12 light-years – Distance to Tau Ceti
  • 230 Pm – 24 light-years – diameter of the Orion Nebula
  • 240 Pm – 25 light-years – Distance to Vega
  • 260 Pm – 27 light-years – Distance to Chara, a star approximately as bright as the Sun. Its faintness gives an idea how the Sun would appear when viewed from this distance.
  • 308.568 Tm – 32.6 light-years – 1 dekaparsec
  • 350 Pm – 37 light-years – distance to Arcturus
  • 373.1 Pm – 39.44 light-years – distance to TRAPPIST-1, a star recently discovered to have 7 planets around it
  • 400 Pm – 42 light-years – distance to Capella
  • 620 Pm – 65 light-years – distance to Aldebaran
  • 750 Pm – 79.36 light-years – distance to Regulus
  • 900 Pm – 92.73 light-years – distance to Algol
  • 946 Pm – 1 light-century

1 exametre

Lengths with order of magnitude 1e18m: thousand light-year radius circle with yellow arrow and 100 light-year circle at right with globular cluster Messier 5 within and Carina Nebula in front; globular cluster Omega Centauri to left of both; part of the 1,400-light-year-wide Tarantula Nebula fills the background

The exametre (SI symbol: Em) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1018 metres. To help compare different distances this section lists lengths between 1018m (1Em or 105.7 light-years) and 1019m (10Em or 1,057 light-years).

  • 1.2 Em – 129 light-years – diameter of Messier 13 (a typical globular cluster)
  • 1.6 Em – 172 ± 12.5 light-years – diameter of Omega Centauri (one of the largest-known globular clusters, perhaps containing over a million stars)
  • 3.08568 Em – 326.1 light-years – 1 hectoparsec
  • 3.1 Em – 310 light-years – distance to Canopus according to Hipparcos
  • 3.9 Em – 410 light-years – distance to Betelgeuse according to Hipparcos
  • 6.2 Em – 650 light-years – distance to the Helix Nebula, located in the constellation Aquarius
  • 8.2 Em – 860 light-years – distance to Rigel according to Hipparcos
  • 9.4 Em — 1 light-millennium – 1000 light-years

10 exametres

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 10 Em (1019 m or 1,100 light-years).

100 exametres

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 100 Em (1020 m or 11,000 light-years).

1 zettametre

The Milky Way galaxy shown with the sun located on the smallermost circle

The zettametre (SI symbol: Zm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1021 metres. To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 1Zm (1021m or 110,000 light-years).

10 zettametres

Image of the Local Group, a region of the universe within ten million light-years of Earth

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 10 Zm (1022 m or 1.1 million light-years).

100 zettametres

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 100 Zm (1023 m or 11 million light-years).

1 yottametre

The yottametre (SI symbol: Ym) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1024metres.

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 1 Ym (1024 m or 105.702 million light-years).

10 yottametres

The universe within one billion light-years of Earth

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 10 Ym (1025 m or 1.1 billion light-years). At this scale, expansion of the universe becomes significant. Distance of these objects are derived from their measured redshifts, which depends on the cosmological models used.

100 yottametres

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 100 Ym (1026 m or 11 billion light-years). At this scale, expansion of the universe becomes significant. Distance of these objects are derived from their measured redshifts, which depend on the cosmological models used.

  • 124 Ym – redshift 7.54 – 13.1 billion light-years – light travel distance (LTD) to the quasar ULAS J1342+0928, the most distant-known quasar as of 2017
  • 130 Ym – redshift 1,000 – 13.8 billion light-years – distance (LTD) to the source of the cosmic microwave background radiation; radius of the observable universe measured as a LTD
  • 260 Ym – 27.4 billion light-years – diameter of the observable universe (double LTD)
  • 440 Ym – 46 billion light-years – radius of the universe measured as a comoving distance
  • 590 Ym – 62 billion light-years – cosmological event horizon: the largest comoving distance from which light will ever reach us (the observer) at any time in the future
  • 886.48 Ym – 93.7 billion light-years – the diameter of the observable universe (twice the particle horizon); however, there might be unobserved distances that are even greater.

1 ronnametre

The ronnametre (SI symbol: Rm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1027metres.

To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists distances starting at 1 Rm (1027 m or 105.7 billion light-years). At this scale, expansion of the universe becomes significant. Distance of these objects are derived from their measured redshifts, which depend on the cosmological models used.

  • >1 Rm – >105.7 billion light-years – size of universe beyond the cosmic light horizon, depending on its curvature; if the curvature is zero (i.e. the universe is spatially flat), the value can be infinite (see Shape of the universe) as previously mentioned.
  • 2.764 Rm - 292.2 billion light-years – circumference of the observable universe, as it is in the shape of a sphere.
  • 221.617 Rm - 23.425 trillion light-years - circumference of the observable universe, as it is in the shape of a hypersphere.

1 quettametre

The quettametre (SI symbol: Qm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1030metres.

Upper limits

See also

Notes

External links

  • – displays orders of magnitude in successively larger rooms.
  • – Travel across the Universe.
  • (Digital Nature Agency).
  • – interactive guide to length magnitudes
  • onYouTube – (March 2020).