Convert length and distance units — meters, feet, inches, kilometers, miles, light years and more.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 0.001 pc | 206.283 au | |
| 0.01 pc | 2062.83 au | |
| 0.1 pc | 20628.3 au | |
| 1 pc | 206283 au | |
| 5 pc | 1.03142e+06 au | |
| 10 pc | 2.06283e+06 au | |
| 50 pc | 1.03142e+07 au | |
| 100 pc | 2.06283e+07 au | |
| 1000 pc | 2.06283e+08 au |
Multiply the number of Parsecs by 206283 to get Astronomical Units. Formula: au = pc × 206283. Example: 10 pc × 206283 = 2062830 au. To reverse, divide Astronomical Units by 206283 to get Parsecs.
| Parsec (pc) | Astronomical Unit (au) |
|---|---|
| 0.001 pc | 206.283 au |
| 0.01 pc | 2062.83 au |
| 0.1 pc | 20628.3 au |
| 0.5 pc | 103142 au |
| 1 pc | 206283 au |
| 2 pc | 412567 au |
| 5 pc | 1031420 au |
| 10 pc | 2062830 au |
| 20 pc | 4125670 au |
| 50 pc | 10314200 au |
| 100 pc | 20628300 au |
| 250 pc | 51570900 au |
| 500 pc | 103142000 au |
| 1000 pc | 206283000 au |
| 10000 pc | 2062830000 au |
To convert Parsec to Astronomical Unit, multiply by 206283. Example: 10 pc = 2062830 au
To convert Astronomical Unit back to Parsec, divide by 206283 (multiply by 4.8477e-06). Use the swap button above.
Start with 100 Parsecs = 20628300 au as your reference point. Scale up or down from there.
1 parsec = 206,265 AU exactly — this is the geometric definition. The parsec is the distance at which 1 AU subtends 1 arcsecond. Astronomers converting parsec distances to AU anchor the cosmic distance scale to the solar system scale.
Nearby stars within 10 parsecs of the Sun are mapped in both parsecs (for star catalogue consistency) and AU (for comparison with solar system scales) — astronomers convert between pc and AU when contextualising stellar neighbourhood structure.
Exoplanet orbital radii are expressed in AU while host star distances use parsecs. Every exoplanet discovery paper contains both units — orbital parameters in AU, system distance in parsecs, requiring fluid conversion.
ESA's Gaia mission produces stellar distances in parsecs from parallax measurements. Researchers converting Gaia distances to AU for comparison with solar system scales routinely perform parsec-to-AU conversion on catalogue data.
Hypothetical interstellar mission targets at parsec distances are contextualised in AU — "Proxima Centauri at 1.295 parsecs = 267,000 AU — that's 267,000 times the Earth-Sun distance." Engineers use this comparison to illustrate mission scale.
Teaching students that 1 parsec = 206,265 AU bridges solar system and stellar scales concretely — "the nearest star is 268,000 AU away" makes Proxima Centauri's distance tangible in familiar solar system units.
The Parsec is a unit of Length measurement (symbol: pc). 1 pc = 206283 au. Used in scientific and practical Length measurement applications.
The Astronomical Unit is a unit of Length measurement (symbol: au). It is part of an internationally recognised measurement system used alongside the Parsec.
The parsec was introduced in 1913 by British astronomer Herbert Hall Turner, who needed a practical unit for expressing stellar distances measured by parallax. The name is a portmanteau of 'parallax' and 'arcsecond' — a parsec is the distance at which one astronomical unit (the Earth-Sun distance) subtends an angle of exactly one arcsecond. This geometric definition makes parsecs directly useful: a star with a measured parallax of 1 arcsecond is exactly 1 parsec away, requiring no intermediate conversion. 1 parsec equals approximately 3.086×10¹³ kilometres or 3.262 light-years. Professional astronomers overwhelmingly prefer parsecs over light-years because parallax astrometry — the primary distance measurement tool — yields distances in parsecs directly.
The astronomical unit has ancient roots — Aristarchus of Samos attempted to measure the Earth-Sun distance around 270 BC. For centuries the AU was estimated using Venus transit observations. Edmond Halley organised the first coordinated international transit-of-Venus expedition in 1716. The modern value was determined by radar ranging to Venus in 1961. The IAU formally defined the AU as exactly 149,597,870,700 metres in 2012.
Common use: Parsec to Astronomical Unit conversion is needed when working with international standards, scientific publications, or reference materials that use different unit systems for Length measurement.