The average distance is about 150 million kilometers (149.6) or 93 million miles (92.9). This is defined as 1 astronomical unit, or AU, and is equal to about 8.2 light-minutes, as light from the Sun takes about 8 minutes to reach Earth.
The definition of a scourge is someone or something that causes a lot of trouble, problems or suffering. An example of a scourge is famine or the outbreak of a disease. YourDictionary definition and usage example.
Roman Scourge Instrument This sketch depicts a Roman Flagrum which was designed to quickly remove the flesh from the body of a victim. The Romans would, according to custom, scourge a condemned criminal before he was put to death. The Roman scourge, also called the flagrum or flagellum was a short whip made of two or three leather (ox-hide) thongs or ropes connected to a handle as in the sketch above. The leather thongs were knotted with a number of small pieces of metal, usually zinc and iron, attached at various intervals.