Astronomical Unit Converter
Understanding Astronomical Distances
This calculator converts between common units used to measure vast distances in space.
- Astronomical Unit (AU): Defined as approximately the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. It's primarily used for distances within our solar system.
1 AU ≈ 149.6 million kilometers - Light-Year (ly): The distance that light travels in one Julian year (365.25 days) in a vacuum. It's used for distances to stars and galaxies.
1 ly ≈ 9.461 trillion kilometers - Parsec (pc): A unit of length used to measure the large distances to astronomical objects outside the Solar System. One parsec is the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond.
1 pc ≈ 3.086 × 1013 kilometers
Conversion Factors Used:
1 Parsec (pc) = 3.26156 Light-years (ly)1 Parsec (pc) = 206264.806 Astronomical Units (AU)1 Light-year (ly) = 63241.077 Astronomical Units (AU)
How to Use:
- Enter the numerical value of the distance you want to convert.
- Select the unit you are converting FROM.
- Select the unit you want to convert TO.
- Click "Convert Distance".