Astronomical numbers refer to extremely large values often used in fields like astronomy and mathematics. These numbers can represent vast distances, such as the distance from Earth to other celestial bodies, or the number of stars in the universe. For example, the distance from Earth to the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, is about 4.24 light-years, which translates to approximately 25 trillion miles. In mathematics, astronomical numbers can also describe quantities that are difficult to comprehend, like Googol, which is 10 raised to the power of 100. Such large numbers help scientists and mathematicians express and work with concepts that involve immense scales, making them essential for understanding the universe.