Point (Typography) to Light Year Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert points to light years with our free online length converter.
Point (Typography) to Light Year Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Point (Typography)).
- 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 Point (Typography) to Light Year
Converting Point (Typography) to Light Year involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Point (Typography) = 3.7288e-20 light yearsExample Calculation:
Convert 10 points: 10 × 3.7288e-20 = 3.7288e-19 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 Point (Typography) and a Light Year?
A point is a unit of length used in typography. The desktop publishing point (DTP point or PostScript point) is defined as 1/72 of an international inch (approximately 0.3527 mm).
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 Point (Typography) 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 Point (Typography) and Light Year
Typographic points evolved from historical printing practices. The DTP point standardized previous variations for digital use.
The concept was first used by Friedrich Bessel in 1838 when measuring the distance to the star 61 Cygni.
Common Uses for points and light years
Explore the typical applications for both Point (Typography) (imperial/US) and Light Year (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for points
- Specifying font sizes
- Measuring line spacing (leading) and other typographic elements
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 Point (Typography) (pt)
How many points are in an inch?
In modern desktop publishing, there are exactly 72 points (pt) in 1 inch (in).
What is the difference between a point and a pixel?
A point (pt) is a unit of physical length (1/72 inch), typically used for print. A pixel (px) is a unit of digital display resolution and its physical size can vary depending on the screen's pixel density (PPI).
What does 12 pt font mean?
It means the height of the font characters (specifically, the 'em square', which includes space above and below the letters) is 12 points, or 12/72 = 1/6th of an inch.
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: Point (Typography) to Light Year
| Point (Typography) (pt) | 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)
- Mil/Thou (mil)
- Fathom (fath)
- Furlong (fur)
- 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)