Parsecs to Lightyears (pc to ly)

Lightyears to Parsecs (Swap Units)

Format
Accuracy

Note: Fractional results are rounded to the nearest 1/64. For a more accurate answer please select 'decimal' from the options above the result.

Note: You can increase or decrease the accuracy of this answer by selecting the number of significant figures required from the options above the result.

Note: For a pure decimal result please select 'decimal' from the options above the result.

Show formula

Parsecs to Lightyears formula

ly =
pc * 3.2616
 
 
 
Show working
Show result in exponential format
More information: Parsecs

Parsecs

Astronomers used trigonometry to calculate the distance to stars long before the term parsec was coined, but the new unit made it easier to conceptualise unfathomable distances.

A parsec is the distance from the sun to an astronomical object which has a parallax angle of one arcsecond (1/3600 of a degree). The parallax angle is found by measuring the parallax motion (or apparent movement of a star relative to stable, more distant stars) when the star is observed from opposite sides of the Sun (an interval of six months on Earth). The parallax angle is obtained by halving the angular difference in measurements.

Once the parallax angle is established you can calculate the distance to a star using trigonometry, because we know Earth’s distance from the Sun. The distance from the Sun of a body with a parallax angle of 1 arcsecond was thus defined as a unit and, thanks to Turner, named the parsec.

With the parsec defined, deriving and describing huge distances became easy, since a distance i

 

Parsecs to Lightyears formula

ly =
pc * 3.2616
 
 
 

Lightyears

A lightyear is the distance that light travels in one year. Since there are various definitions for the length of a year, there are correspondingly slightly different values for a lightyear. One lightyear corresponds to about 9.461e15 m, 5.879e12 mi, or 63239.7 AU, or 0.3066 pc.

 

Parsecs to Lightyears table

Start
Increments
Accuracy
Format
Print table
< Smaller Values Larger Values >
-20.000pc-65.231ly
-19.000pc-61.970ly
-18.000pc-58.708ly
-17.000pc-55.447ly
-16.000pc-52.185ly
-15.000pc-48.923ly
-14.000pc-45.662ly
-13.000pc-42.400ly
-12.000pc-39.139ly
-11.000pc-35.877ly
-10.000pc-32.616ly
-9.0000pc-29.354ly
-8.0000pc-26.093ly
-7.0000pc-22.831ly
-6.0000pc-19.569ly
-5.0000pc-16.308ly
-4.0000pc-13.046ly
-3.0000pc-9.7847ly
-2.0000pc-6.5231ly
-1.0000pc-3.2616ly
Parsecs Lightyears
0.0000pc 0.0000ly
1.0000pc 3.2616ly
2.0000pc 6.5231ly
3.0000pc 9.7847ly
4.0000pc 13.046ly
5.0000pc 16.308ly
6.0000pc 19.569ly
7.0000pc 22.831ly
8.0000pc 26.093ly
9.0000pc 29.354ly
10.000pc 32.616ly
11.000pc 35.877ly
12.000pc 39.139ly
13.000pc 42.400ly
14.000pc 45.662ly
15.000pc 48.923ly
16.000pc 52.185ly
17.000pc 55.447ly
18.000pc 58.708ly
19.000pc 61.970ly
Parsecs Lightyears
20.000pc 65.231ly
21.000pc 68.493ly
22.000pc 71.754ly
23.000pc 75.016ly
24.000pc 78.278ly
25.000pc 81.539ly
26.000pc 84.801ly
27.000pc 88.062ly
28.000pc 91.324ly
29.000pc 94.585ly
30.000pc 97.847ly
31.000pc 101.11ly
32.000pc 104.37ly
33.000pc 107.63ly
34.000pc 110.89ly
35.000pc 114.15ly
36.000pc 117.42ly
37.000pc 120.68ly
38.000pc 123.94ly
39.000pc 127.20ly
Parsecs Lightyears
40.000pc 130.46ly
41.000pc 133.72ly
42.000pc 136.99ly
43.000pc 140.25ly
44.000pc 143.51ly
45.000pc 146.77ly
46.000pc 150.03ly
47.000pc 153.29ly
48.000pc 156.56ly
49.000pc 159.82ly
50.000pc 163.08ly
51.000pc 166.34ly
52.000pc 169.60ly
53.000pc 172.86ly
54.000pc 176.12ly
55.000pc 179.39ly
56.000pc 182.65ly
57.000pc 185.91ly
58.000pc 189.17ly
59.000pc 192.43ly
60.000pc195.69ly
61.000pc198.96ly
62.000pc202.22ly
63.000pc205.48ly
64.000pc208.74ly
65.000pc212.00ly
66.000pc215.26ly
67.000pc218.52ly
68.000pc221.79ly
69.000pc225.05ly
70.000pc228.31ly
71.000pc231.57ly
72.000pc234.83ly
73.000pc238.09ly
74.000pc241.36ly
75.000pc244.62ly
76.000pc247.88ly
77.000pc251.14ly
78.000pc254.40ly
79.000pc257.66ly