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Created page with "A '''parsec''' is a unit of distance commonly used in astronomy. It is defined as "the distance at which the radius of the Earth's orbit subtends 1 arcsecond (..."
A '''parsec''' is a unit of [[distance]] commonly used in [[astronomy]]. It is defined as "the distance at which the [[radius]] of the [[Earth]]'s orbit subtends 1 arcsecond (1/3600 [[degree]]s)."<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/science/parsec Parsec] from britannica.com</ref> It is equal to around 3.26 [[light year]]s, 3.09×10<sup>16</sup> metres or 1.92×10<sup>13</sup> miles. The unit is normally denoted with a lower case "pc".
Parsecs, like light years, make the large distances encountered in astronomy much more manageable. For example, the distance to our nearest [[star]], [[Alpha Centauri]], is around 0.769 pc away and the [[Milky Way]] is around 30 kpc across.
==See also==
*[[Light year]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
Parsecs, like light years, make the large distances encountered in astronomy much more manageable. For example, the distance to our nearest [[star]], [[Alpha Centauri]], is around 0.769 pc away and the [[Milky Way]] is around 30 kpc across.
==See also==
*[[Light year]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]