Convert astronomical units to parsecs

Explanation

From this page you can convert astronomical units to parsecs (or au to pc) simply, by using the application above.

In case you are wondering, to convert from astronomical units to parsecs you need to multiply by 0.000004848. This factor is calculated using the respective definitions of the two units you can find below.

Formula

1 au≈0.000004848 pc

astronomical unitsau

dimension	length
symbol	au

The astronomical unit (au) is a unit of length used in astronomy.

One astronomical unit is roughly equal to the distance between Earth and the Sun.

The unit is used to measure distances at the scale of solar systems. For example, Jupiter is approximately 5 au from the Sun.

Definition of the astronomical unit

The astronomical unit is defined as exactly 149597870700 meters.

International Astronomical Union

Equivalences

One astronomical unit is approximately equal to:

Some Facts

If the Sun were to be erased from reality, we would realise it 8 minutes and 20 seconds later, it is the time that light and gravity from the Sun take to reach us. During all that time, the Earth would continue on its orbit around an empty part of space as if nothing happened.

parsecspc

dimension	length
symbol	pc

The parsec (pc) is unit of length used in astronomy.

The unit is used to express distances inside or between galaxies. For example, the Sun is located approximately 8000 parsecs from the center of the Milky Way.

Definition of the parsec

A parsec is defined as the distance at which 1 Astronomical Unit subtends an angle of 1 second of arc.

International Astronomical Union

Value

In this converter, we use the approximate value of 30856775814913673 meters. If you need an exact equivalence (and why wouldn't you), you should know that πpc (pi parsecs) exactly equals 96939420213600000 m.

Some Facts

Let's see if we can get an idea of how big a parsec is.

One of the fastest man-made object is the Voyager 1 space probe. At its current speed of 17000 meters per second, Voyager 1 would take 57500 years to travel just one parsec away from the Sun.

astronomical unit	au
parsec	pc
kiloparsec	kpc
megaparsec	Mpc
gigaparsec	Gpc

astronomical unit	au
parsec	pc
kiloparsec	kpc
megaparsec	Mpc
gigaparsec	Gpc