As you just said "the DISTANCE traveled", not a measure of both. The speed is given (speed of light in a vacuum), the time is specified (X years) and the result is distance.Hyrion wrote:Actually - it's a measure of both - the distance traveled at a specific speed in a specific time.AndyK wrote:light years are a measure of DISTANCE, not time
Specifically: traveling at the speed of light for one year = 1 light year.
Ironically, as I vaguely understand the science behind it, apparently the speed of light isn't so constant after all.
To play with smaller numbers, one LightSecond is approximately 186,000 miles. Pure distance.
Similarly, one could express a distance as "six South Carolina I-95 Minutes" being 7 miles.
It is a common mistake. Many people think that since the term includes the word "years" that it is a measure of time.