Parsec to Light Year Converter

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.

A light-year is a unit of length used in astronomy, equal to the distance that light travels in vacuum in one Julian year (365.25 days), approximately 9.461 trillion kilometers or 5.879 trillion miles.

The concept of the light-year was first used by German astronomer Friedrich Bessel in 1838. The term became widely adopted in the late 19th century as astronomers needed a practical unit for expressing the vast distances between stars and galaxies.

Light-years are extensively used in astronomy and astrophysics to measure distances to stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects. They provide an intuitive sense of cosmic distances and are commonly used in scientific literature and popular astronomy education.