Convert Parsecs to Megaparsecs
Convert Parsecs (pc) to Megaparsecs (Mpc) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
Mpc = pc × 1.000000000e-6
About Parsecs
A parsec (pc) is approximately 3.26 light years or 30.86 trillion kilometers, defined as the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond. Despite being less familiar than light years, parsecs are preferred by professional astronomers because they relate directly to stellar parallax measurements - the apparent shift in a star's position as Earth orbits the Sun. Most nearby stars are within a few dozen parsecs, our galaxy is about 30,000 parsecs across, and distant galaxies are measured in millions of parsecs (megaparsecs).
About Megaparsecs
A megaparsec (Mpc) is one million parsecs or 3.26 million light years, the standard unit for measuring intergalactic distances. The Andromeda Galaxy is about 0.77 megaparsecs away, while most galaxies in the observable universe are measured in megaparsecs. The Local Group of galaxies spans about 3 megaparsecs. Astronomers use megaparsecs in combination with redshift measurements to calculate distances to distant galaxies and study the expansion of the universe. The Hubble constant, describing cosmic expansion, is expressed in kilometers per second per megaparsec.
Quick Reference Table
| Parsecs (pc) | Megaparsecs (Mpc) |
|---|---|
| 1 pc | 1 × 10-6 Mpc |
| 2 pc | 2 × 10-6 Mpc |
| 5 pc | 5 × 10-6 Mpc |
| 10 pc | 1 × 10-5 Mpc |
| 25 pc | 2.5 × 10-5 Mpc |
| 50 pc | 5 × 10-5 Mpc |
| 100 pc | 1 × 10-4 Mpc |