Calculating the distance to the Andromeda Galaxy in miles requires multiplying the distance in light-years by the number of miles in one light-year.
Given that 1 light-year is approximately 5.88 trillion miles, and the Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light-years away, we can calculate the distance in miles as follows:
Distance in miles = (Distance in light-years) x (Number of miles in one light-year)
Distance in miles = 2.5 million light-years x 5.88 trillion miles
To perform this calculation, you can express the numbers in scientific notation to simplify the multiplication:
Distance in miles ≈ (2.5 x 10^6) light-years x (5.88 x 10^12) miles
To multiply these values, you can add the exponents and multiply the coefficients:
Distance in miles ≈ (2.5 x 5.88) x (10^6 x 10^12) miles
Distance in miles ≈ 14.7 x 10^18 miles
Finally, you can express the result in standard notation:
Distance in miles ≈ 1.47 x 10^19 miles
Therefore, the approximate distance to the Andromeda Galaxy is 1.47 followed by 18 zeros (or 14.7 quintillion) miles.