Question

The Double Helix Nebula, a conglomeration of dust and gas stretching across the

center of the Milky Way galaxy, is 25,000 light-years from Earth. If one light-year is
about 6,000,000,000,000 miles, about how many miles is the Double Helix Nebula
the nebula is about ____ x 10^_

Answer 1

`1.5 * 10^(17) miles`

Explanation:

Given 1 light year = 6,000,000,000,000 miles

If the Double Helix Nebula, a conglomeration of dust and gas stretching across the center of the Milky Way galaxy, is 25,000 light-years from Earth, then:

25000 light years = x miles

To get x:

1 light year = 6,000,000,000,000 miles

25000 light years = x miles

Cross multiply

x = 25000 * 6,000,000,000,000

x = 150,000,000,000,000,000

Convert to standard form.

`x = 1.5 * 10^(17) miles`

Hence the Double Helix Nebula is about
`1.5 * 10^(17) miles`