Parsec

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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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