Light years to Parsecs Converter
Use this converter to easily convert between Light years and Parsecs (ly to pc).
- How many Light years in one Parsec?
- Difference between Light years and Parsecs
- How to convert Light years to Parsecs?
- ly to pc conversion table
How many Light years in one Parsec?
There are approximately 3.26 light years in one parsec (3.261563 accurate to six digits after the decimal point). The international symbol for light years is "ly" whereas for parsec it is "pc" so we can write 1 pc = 3.26 ly.
Difference between Light years and Parsecs
Light years express the distance covered by light in one year's time. A year is an Earth-centric measure of time, but other than that the definition of a light-year depends only on the speed of light which is a universal physics constant. This makes light years the unit of choice when it comes to expressing the vast distances between astronomical bodies.
The parsec is defined as the distance at which a star will show an annual parallax of one arcsecond meaning they have particular utility for Earth-based astronomical observations. However, this also means it is based on two arbitrary quantities: the radius of our planet's orbit and the arbitrary choice to divide a circle in 360 degrees (base 60 system). These qualities make the parsec less suitable as a universal distance unit as compared to the light year.
How to convert Light years to Parsecs?
Knowing that there are 3.26 light-years in a parsec it is apparent that division is needed in the conversion of ly to pc. Simply divide the measure in light years by 3.26 to get the equivalent in parsecs. See the detailed calculation example below.
Light year to Parsec conversion example
Sample task: convert 5 light years to parsecs. Solution:
Formula:
ly / 3.261563 = pc
Calculation:
5 ly / 3.2616 = 1.533007 pc
End result:
5 ly is equal to 1.533007 pc
ly to pc conversion table
| ly | pc |
|---|---|
| 1 ly | 0.306601 pc |
| 2 ly | 0.613203 pc |
| 3 ly | 0.919804 pc |
| 4 ly | 1.226406 pc |
| 5 ly | 1.533007 pc |
| 6 ly | 1.839609 pc |
| 7 ly | 2.146210 pc |
| 8 ly | 2.452812 pc |
| 9 ly | 2.759413 pc |
| 10 ly | 3.066015 pc |
| 20 ly | 6.132029 pc |
| 30 ly | 9.198044 pc |
| 40 ly | 12.264059 pc |
| 50 ly | 15.330073 pc |
| 60 ly | 18.396088 pc |
| 70 ly | 21.462103 pc |
| 80 ly | 24.528117 pc |
| 90 ly | 27.594132 pc |
| 100 ly | 30.660147 pc |
| 200 ly | 61.320293 pc |
| 300 ly | 91.980440 pc |
| 400 ly | 122.640587 pc |
| 500 ly | 153.300733 pc |
| 600 ly | 183.960880 pc |
| 700 ly | 214.621027 pc |
| 800 ly | 245.281173 pc |
| 900 ly | 275.941320 pc |
| 1,000 ly | 306.601467 pc |
References
1 NIST Special Publication 330 (2008) - "The International System of Units (SI)", edited by Barry N.Taylor and Ambler Thompson
2 International Organization for Standardization (1993). ISO Standards Handbook: Quantities and units (3rd edition). Geneva: ISO. ISBN 92-67-10185-4.
Cite this converter & page
If you'd like to cite this online converter resource and information as provided on the page, you can use the following citation:
Georgiev G.Z., "Light Year to Parsec Converter", [online] Available at: https://www.gigacalculator.com/converters/convert-light-year-to-parsec.php URL [Accessed Date: 06 Jun, 2023].