Furlong to Light Year Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert furlongs to light years with our free online length converter.
Furlong to Light Year Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Furlong).
- The converted value in Light Year will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
- Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Length category.
- Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.
How to Convert Furlong to Light Year
Converting Furlong to Light Year involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Furlong = 2.1263e-14 light years
Example Calculation:
Convert 10 furlongs: 10 × 2.1263e-14 = 2.1263e-13 light years
Disclaimer: For Reference Only
These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.
Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.
What is a Furlong and a Light Year?
The Furlong (symbol fur) is a unit of length in the imperial and U.S. customary systems of measurement. It is defined as exactly one-eighth of a mile (1/8 mi). This is equivalent to 220 yards (yd), 660 feet (ft), or precisely 201.168 meters (m).
A light-year is a unit of astronomical distance equal to the distance that light travels in one Julian year in a vacuum (approximately 9.461 trillion kilometers or 5.879 trillion miles).
Note: The Furlong is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Light Year belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Furlong and Light Year
The name "furlong" derives from the Old English words furh (furrow) and lang (long). It originally represented the approximate distance a team of oxen could plow without rest within a typical English open field system. It also related to the traditional size of an acre, which was conceived as an area of land one furlong long and one chain (66 feet) wide. The furlong was standardized as 40 rods (a rod being 5.5 yards) or 10 chains. While historically significant in agriculture and land surveying, its use has greatly diminished with the adoption of metric units and the decline of the imperial system for general measurements.
The concept was first used by Friedrich Bessel in 1838 when measuring the distance to the star 61 Cygni.
Common Uses for furlongs and light years
Explore the typical applications for both Furlong (imperial/US) and Light Year (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for furlongs
Although largely obsolete for general use, the furlong persists in specific contexts:
- Horse Racing: Its most prominent modern use is in measuring race distances in countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, and Canada. Race lengths are frequently given in furlongs (e.g., a 6-furlong sprint).
- Historical Context: Encountered in historical documents, land deeds, and literature referring to land measurement or travel distances in imperial units.
- Figurative Language: Occasionally used informally or figuratively to denote a distance, though this is rare.
- Myanmar (Burma): The furlong remains in common use in Myanmar as a customary unit alongside the mile.
Common Uses for light years
- Measuring distances to stars and galaxies
- Expressing the vast scale of the universe in astronomy
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Furlong (fur)
How many furlongs are in a mile?
There are exactly 8 furlongs in 1 mile.
How many yards/feet/meters are in a furlong?
One furlong is equal to:
- 220 yards (yd)
- 660 feet (ft)
- 201.168 meters (m) (exactly)
Where is the furlong used most often today?
Its primary modern application is in horse racing in several English-speaking countries (UK, Ireland, USA, Canada), where it is the standard unit for race distances. It also sees some continued customary use in Myanmar.
Is the furlong an SI unit?
No, the furlong is not part of the International System of Units (SI). It belongs to the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The corresponding SI unit for length is the meter (m).
Why is it called a furlong?
The name comes from Old English furlang, meaning "furrow long," reflecting its origin as the length of a furrow a team of oxen could plow in an acre strip before needing rest.
About Light Year (ly)
Is a light-year a unit of time or distance?
A light-year (ly) is a unit of distance, not time. It represents the distance light travels in one year.
How far is a light-year in kilometers and miles?
One light-year is approximately 9.461 trillion kilometers (9.461 x 10^12 km) or 5.879 trillion miles (5.879 x 10^12 mi).
What is the closest star to Earth in light-years?
Excluding the Sun, the closest star system to Earth is Alpha Centauri, which is about 4.37 light-years away.
Conversion Table: Furlong to Light Year
Furlong (fur) | Light Year (ly) |
---|---|
1 | 0 |
5 | 0 |
10 | 0 |
25 | 0 |
50 | 0 |
100 | 0 |
500 | 0 |
1,000 | 0 |
All Length Conversions
Other Units from Length
- Meter (m)
- Kilometer (km)
- Hectometer (hm)
- Decimeter (dm)
- Centimeter (cm)
- Millimeter (mm)
- Inch (in)
- Foot (ft)
- Yard (yd)
- Mile (mi)
- Nautical Mile (NM)
- Micrometer (μm)
- Nanometer (nm)
- Astronomical Unit (AU)
- Parsec (pc)
- Angstrom (Å)
- Point (Typography) (pt)
- Mil/Thou (mil)
- Fathom (fath)
- Link (Gunter's) (li)
- Pace (pace)
- Span (span)
- Digit (digit)
- Cable Length (cb)
- Ell (ell)
- Finger (finger)
- Roman Mile (m.p.)
- Stadion (stadion)
- Chi (Chinese) (chi)
- Shaku (Japanese) (shaku)
- Li (Chinese) (li)
- Toise (toise)
- Bolt (bolt)
- Rope (rope)
- Smoot (smoot)
- Sajene (sajene)
- Ken (ken)
- Wa (wa)
- Vara (vara)
- Aln (aln)
- Cubit (Royal/Egyptian) (cubit)
- Versta (versta)
- Arpent (arpent)
- Ri (Japanese) (ri)
- Klafter (klafter)
- Yojana (yojana)
- Skein (skein)