def in_unit_of(self, unit, as_quantity=False):
        """
        Return the current value transformed to the new units

        :param unit: either an astropy.Unit instance, or a string which can be converted to an astropy.Unit
            instance, like "1 / (erg cm**2 s)"
        :param as_quantity: if True, the method return an astropy.Quantity, if False just a floating point number.
            Default is False
        :return: either a floating point or a astropy.Quantity depending on the value of "as_quantity"
        """

        new_unit = u.Unit(unit)

        new_quantity = self.as_quantity.to(new_unit)

        if as_quantity:

            return new_quantity

        else:

            return new_quantity.value