| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| astronomical unit |
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| (AU), mean distance between the earth and sun; one AU is c.92,960,000 mi (149,604,970 km). The astronomical unit is the principal unit of measurement within the solar system, e.g., Mercury is just over 1/3 AU and Pluto is about 39 AU from the sun. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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