How Far Is ONE Light Year? (Mind-Blowing Space Distance Explained) A light year is not a measure of time — it’s a measure of distance. Light can travel an incredible 9.46 trillion kilometers in just one year. To put that in perspective, it would take a car over 10 million years to drive a single light year. This short explains the true scale of a light year and why space distances are so extreme. Perfect for space fans, astronomy learners, and science shorts. light year explained, how far is a l