From that definition , the time to traverse an au is found to be τA = 499.0047838061 ± 0.00000001 s , resulting in the astronomical unit in metres as c0τA = 149597870700 ± 3 m . Since 1976 , it has become possible to measure the distance to celestial bodies directly .
The time to cover an AU is τA = 499.0047838061 ± 0.00000001 s , resulting in the astronomical unit in metres as c0τA = 149597870700 ± 3 m . It is approximately equal to the distance from the earth to the sun .