This isn’t a particularly useful unit of measurement for life on earth. (An astronomical unit is the average distance from Earth to the Sun- about 150 million kilometers or 93 million miles.)Ī parsec is equal to about 3.26 light-years, or 31 quadrillion kilometers, or 19 trillion miles. Historically, a parsec was defined as the distance at which two objects, separated by one astronomical unit, appear to be separated by an angle of one arcsecond. When viewed from the far right, the minute hand appears to shift, making the time appear to be 2:40. For example, when looking at an analog clock directly from the front, you may see the time at 2:38. “ Parsec” is an abbreviation of “parallax of one arcsecond.” An arcsecond is a unit of angular measurement (one arcsecond is 1/3600 of a degree), and parallax refers to the effect where the position of an object appears to change when viewed at different points. In reality, a parsec isn’t a measure of time- it’s a measure of distance. “You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?… It’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.” – Han Soloįrom the way it’s used in Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope, a parsec sounds like a really cool unit of time.
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