Step 1: Understand what AU stands for
AU is the abbreviation for Astronomical Unit, which is a unit of measurement used in astronomy.
Step 2: Definition of Astronomical Unit
1 AU is defined as the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. This distance is approximately 149.6 million kilometers (93 million miles).
Step 3: Common uses of AU
Astronomers use AU to measure: - Distances between objects within our solar system - Orbital distances of planets - Distances to nearby stars
Step 4: Why other options are incorrect
(A) Temperature - Measured in Kelvin, Celsius or Fahrenheit
(C) Weight - Measured in Newtons or pounds
(D) Time - Measured in seconds, hours, years etc.
Step 5: Importance of AU
The AU provides a convenient scale for measuring solar system distances without using extremely large numbers in kilometers or miles.