A "handbreadth" is a unit of length that is approximately equal to the width of an adult human hand, excluding the fingers. It is often used in various historical and cultural contexts as a convenient way to estimate small lengths or distances. The actual measurement of a handbreadth can vary somewhat depending on the size of an individual's hand, but it is typically around 3 to 4 inches (about 7.6 to 10.2 centimeters).
In some historical systems of measurement, particularly in the ancient Near East and the Bible, the handbreadth was used as a standardized unit for measuring length. It was one of the smaller units within a larger system of measurement, often used for small-scale applications like measuring cloth, the dimensions of objects, or architectural details.
While the handbreadth is not a commonly used unit of measurement in modern times, it remains a useful and intuitive way to approximate small lengths informally, especially when a quick estimate is needed.
The average distance from Earth to the Sun is about 149.6 million kilometers (or approximately 93 million miles). This distance is often referred to as an astronomical unit (AU), which is a standard unit of measurement used in astronomy to describe distances within our solar system. An astronomical unit is defined as the average distance between the Earth and the Sun.
It's important to note that the Earth's orbit around the Sun is not a perfect circle but rather an ellipse, so the distance between Earth and the Sun varies slightly throughout the year. The value given here represents the average distance. The closest point in Earth's orbit to the Sun is called perihelion, while the farthest point is called aphelion. Perihelion occurs around early January, and aphelion occurs around early July. At perihelion, Earth is approximately 147.1 million kilometers (about 91.4 million miles) from the Sun, while at aphelion, it is about 152.1 million kilometers (around 94.5 million miles) away.