Orders of magnitude (length)
range of lengths from the subatomic to the astronomical scales
The following are examples of orders of magnitude for different lengths.
Overview
Detailed list
To help compare different orders of magnitude, the following list describes various lengths between
1.6
×
10
−
35
{\displaystyle 1.6\times 10^{-35}}
metres and
10
10
10
122
{\displaystyle 10^{10^{10^{122}}}}
metres. Metres are used in these tables to provide a common reference point, but metric prefixes above "k" are not commonly used with metres. So for example, 1.21 Gm would more commonly be written as 1.21 million km or (in scientific notation) 1.21 × 106 km. Interplanetary distances are also commonly measured in astronomical units. Distances on the interstellar or larger scale are typically measured in light-years or parsecs.
Subatomic scale
Atomic to cellular scale
Cellular to human scale
Human to astronomical scale
Astronomical scale
1 quectometre and less
The quectometre (SI symbol: qm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−30 metres.
To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths shorter than 10−30 m (1 qm).
0 quectometres (0 meters) — gravitational singularity
1.6 × 10−5 quectometres (1.6 × 10−35 metres) – the Planck length (Measures of distance shorter than this do not make physical sense, according to current theories of physics.)
1 qm – 1 quectometre, the smallest named subdivision of the metre in the SI base unit of length, one nonillionth of a metre.
1 rontometre
The rontometre (SI symbol: rm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10−27 metres.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Orders of magnitude (length)” is range of lengths from the subatomic to the astronomical scales. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Orders, magnitude and length, not as a finished interpretation.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q855630. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Orders of magnitude (length)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.