Nautical Mile to Parsec Converter

A nautical mile is a unit of length used in navigation, equal to exactly 1,852 meters or approximately 1.151 statute miles. It is based on the Earth's circumference and is defined as one arc minute of latitude.

The nautical mile originated from the need for a unit of distance that related to the Earth's geometry for navigation purposes. It was historically defined as one minute of arc along a meridian of the Earth. The international nautical mile was standardized at exactly 1,852 meters in 1929.

Nautical miles are universally used in maritime and aviation navigation worldwide. They're the standard unit for measuring distances at sea, flight distances, territorial waters, and exclusive economic zones. Speed in nautical miles per hour is called a knot.

A parsec (pc) is a unit of length used in astronomy, equal to approximately 3.26 light-years or 206,265 astronomical units. It is defined as the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond.

The parsec was defined in 1913 by British astronomer Herbert Hall Turner. The name combines 'parallax' and 'arcsecond', referring to the trigonometric parallax method used to measure stellar distances. It became the preferred unit for professional astronomical distance measurements.

Parsecs are the standard unit for measuring stellar and galactic distances in professional astronomy. They're used in stellar catalogs, galactic structure studies, and cosmological research. Kiloparsecs and megaparsecs are used for larger cosmic distances.