Parsec
Parsec[edit | edit source]
A parsec (symbol: pc) is a unit of length used to measure large distances to astronomical objects outside the Solar System. A parsec is approximately equal to 3.26 light-years (31 trillion kilometres or 19 trillion miles) in length. The name "parsec" is derived from the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond, a measurement known as "parallax second".
History[edit | edit source]
The concept of the parsec was first introduced in 1913 by the British astronomer Frank Watson Dyson, as a convenient unit of measure in astrometry, the precise measurement of the positions and movements of celestial bodies. The parsec is still widely used in astrometry today.
Calculation[edit | edit source]
The distance corresponding to a parallax angle of one arcsecond is defined as one parsec. This can be calculated using the formula:
- d = 1/p
where d is the distance in parsecs and p is the parallax angle in arcseconds. This formula is derived from the definition of the astronomical unit, which is the mean distance from the Earth to the Sun.
Usage[edit | edit source]
The parsec is commonly used in astronomy to measure distances between stars and galaxies. For example, the Andromeda Galaxy is approximately 780 kiloparsecs (2.5 million light-years) from the Earth.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD