parsec

Also known as pc, parallax of one second, parallax second

The parsec (symbol: pc) is a unit of length used to measure the large distances to astronomical objects outside the Solar System, approximately equal to or (au), i.e. . The parsec unit is obtained by the use of parallax and trigonometry, and is defined as the distance at which 1 au subtends an angle of one arcsecond ( of a degree). The nearest star, Proxima Centauri, is about from the Sun: from that distance, the gap between the Earth and the Sun spans slightly less than one arcsecond. Most stars visible to the naked eye are within a few hundred parsecs of the Sun, with the most distant a

AI overview

A parsec is a unit of distance used by astronomers to measure how far away stars and galaxies are from Earth, roughly equal to 3.26 light-years. It's defined using the angle that Earth's orbit makes as seen from distant stars, which allows astronomers to calculate cosmic distances using geometry and observations from different positions in Earth's orbit around the Sun.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Unit.name: parsec
Unit.image: Stellarparallax parsec1.svgclass=skin-invert-image
Unit.caption: A parsec is the distance from the Sun to an astronomical object that has a parallax angle of one arcsecond (not to scale)
Unit.standard: astronomical units
Unit.quantity: length/distance
Unit.symbol: pc
Unit.units1: metric (SI) units
Unit.inunits1: ≈ 
Unit.units2: imperial  US units
Unit.units3: astronomical units

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Article · Nederlands

De parsec (meervoud parsecs, symbool pc) is een afstandsmaat die gebruikt wordt in de astronomie, gedefinieerd als (648 000/π) AE, dit is 3,085 677 581 ... × 1016 m (bijna 31 biljoen kilometer), ongeveer 206.264,8 AE of 3,261 564 lichtjaar. Het woord zelf is een samentrekking van parallax en boogseconde.

Abstract from DBpedia / Wikipedia · CC BY-SA