After all, fifty kilometres was not even a hair's breadth, as cosmic distances went.

The asteroid Apollo came within two million miles, very close as cosmic distances go, back in 1932.

It might still be half a million miles away - but its movement proved that, as cosmic distances went, it was almost near enough to touch.

Some say the bursts are at cosmic distances.

Thus, if their light is carefully analyzed, these explosions should make ideal "standard candles" for measuring cosmic distances.

The astronomers were using a new yardstick for measuring cosmic distances.

Two similar planets are circling about the same glaring white sun at a scant cosmic distance where entirely different conditions prevail.

Thus this category of supernovae has become highly useful as a standard candle for measuring cosmic distances.

It may be "short" as cosmic distances go, but there comes a time when the circuit breakers in your skull trip out from overload.

Much of the variance is due to the great difficulty of measuring cosmic distances.