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parsec
[pahr-sek]
noun
a unit of distance equal to that required to cause a heliocentric parallax of one second of an arc, equivalent to 206,265 times the distance from the earth to the sun, or 3.26 light-years.
parsec
/ ˈɑːˌɛ /
noun
a unit of astronomical distance equal to the distance from earth at which stellar parallax would be 1 second of arc; equivalent to 3.0857 × 10 16 m or 3.262 light years
parsec
A unit of astronomical length equal to 3.26 light-years. It is based on the distance from Earth at which a star would have a parallax of one second of arc. Its metric equivalent is about 30.8 trillion km (19.1 trillion mi). It is used in measuring distances in interstellar and intergalactic space. The closest star to Earth, Alpha Centauri, is about 1.3 parsecs away.
Compare astronomical unit light-year
Word History and Origins
Origin of parsec1
Word History and Origins
Origin of parsec1
Example Sentences
Richardson, not a million parsecs from the character he played in “The Afterparty,” is always a welcome presence.
Within 0.01 parsecs from the black hole, stars -- moving at speeds reaching thousands of kilometers per second -- constantly bump into one another.
One of the closest candidates of this size is the red supergiant Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion, located at a safe distance of about 150 parsecs from our solar system.
No matter how many times I watch my favorite sci-fi films and series, I still can’t tell a parsec from a cylinder of drugstore plutonium.
It is the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy and capable of completing the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.
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