Astro*Dictionary by Michael Erlewine
2 articles for "Parsec"
Parsec [Astro*Index]The distance at which a star (or other object) would have a parallax of 1" (one second of arc).
Thus, one parsec (psc) is equal to 3.260 light years (LY), or 3.084x1013 km (1.916x1013 miles), or 206265 AUs. For remote stellar objects, the term kiloparsec (kpsc), or 103 psc, is used. And, for still more distant objects, the term megaparsec (mpsc), or 106 psc, is used.
See also: ♦ Parallax ♦ Light Year ♦ Astronomical Unit (AU)Parsec [Munkasey M.]
The distance that a body, as viewed from the Earth and then from the Sun, will differ by one second of arc. This is equal to 19.1 Trillion miles (30.7 trillion Km'), or 3.24 light years.
See also: ♦ Parallax ♦ Light Year ♦ Astronomical Unit (AU)
Astro*Index Copyright © 1997 Michael Erlewine