parsecs
Interstellar distance units
A parsec is a unit of astronomical distance equal to about 3.26 light-years—the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond.
Astronomers use parsecs rather than light-years for measuring distances to stars and galaxies: The nearest star is about 1.3 parsecs away.
The word blends parallax and arcsecond.
Faster-than-light travel medium
- Millennium FalconCorellian freighter spacecraft
- Star WarsIconic space fantasy franchise
- warp speedFictional superluminal travel
- interstellar travelVoyaging between distant suns
Han Solo · space opera · faster-than-light · navigation · starship · galactic empire · smuggler · hyperdrive
Gravitationally bound stellar mass
- universeComplete system or domain
- intergalacticSpanning multiple star systems
- redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
- expansionIncrease in scope
cosmic scale · quasars · deep space · extragalactic · supercluster · void · observable universe · dark energy
Position change from different vantages
- triangulationLocation via three points
- baselineStandard for comparison
- astrometryMeasuring celestial body positions
- GaiaPrimordial earth deity
hyperspace
Faster-than-light travel medium
- Millennium FalconCorellian freighter spacecraft
- Star WarsIconic space fantasy franchise
- warp speedFictional superluminal travel
Han Solo · interstellar travel · space opera · faster-than-light · navigation · starship · galactic empire · smuggler · hyperdrive · science fiction
galaxy
Gravitationally bound stellar mass
- universeComplete system or domain
- intergalacticSpanning multiple star systems
- redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
expansion · cosmic scale · quasars · deep space · extragalactic · supercluster · void · observable universe · dark energy · spacetime
parallax
Position change from different vantages
- triangulationLocation via three points
- baselineStandard for comparison
- astrometryMeasuring celestial body positions
- long distancelong distance, long haul, cross-country, miles, mileage
- cosmic distanceslight-years, megaparsec, light years, astronomical units, cosmic scale
- astronomystars, moon, sun, planet, planets
- cosmosuniverse, galaxies, galaxy, stars, star
- spacespace, sun, moon, stars, star
- measurementscales, gauging, balance, metering, gram
parsecsangstroms
Ten-billionths of meters
nanometers · picometers · femtometers · micrometers · microns
parsecsnanoseconds
Billionths of seconds
seconds · milliseconds · minutes · hours · years