This page converts parsecs into miles using the factor 1.917351158e+13, and shows the reverse figure alongside it. Both units measure length, which is why one number does the whole job.
The distance at which one astronomical unit subtends one arcsecond: about 3.26 light-years. The statute mile: 5,280 feet, used for road distance in the US, UK and a handful of others.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". Below the calculator there is a step table for the values people look up most, and a second table putting real length figures into miles so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
parsecs- The amount you are converting, in parsecs
1.91735115767e+13- The exact number of miles in one parsec
miles- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in parsecs.
- It is multiplied by 1.91735115767e+13, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in miles, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A larger figure: 100 pc in miles
A larger figure comes to about 100 pc. Multiplying by the factor: 100 × 1.91735e+13 = 1.91735e+15 mi. Dividing the answer back by 1.91735e+13 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
A round figure: 1 pc in miles
Take a round figure, roughly 1 pc. The conversion is a single multiplication — 1 × 1.91735e+13 — giving 1.91735e+13 mi. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 3.8347e+13 mi.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many miles are in one parsec?
Exactly 1.91735115767e+13. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert parsecs to miles?
miles = parsecs × 1.91735115767e+13. Reversed, parsecs = miles ÷ 1.91735115767e+13, which is the same as multiplying by 5.21552870479e-14.
Which is the bigger unit, the parsec or the mile?
The parsec. One parsec equals 1.91735e+13 miles.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a parsec?
The distance at which one astronomical unit subtends one arcsecond: about 3.26 light-years.
What is a mile?
The statute mile: 5,280 feet, used for road distance in the US, UK and a handful of others.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do pc to mi in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: multiply by 1.9000e+13 instead of using the exact factor 1.9174e+13. At 100 that shortcut gives 1.9000e+15 miles, off by 1.7351e+13 miles or about 0.90%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Parsecs to miles reference tables
| Parsecs | Miles |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pc | 9.58676e+12 mi |
| 1 pc | 1.91735e+13 mi |
| 2 pc | 3.8347e+13 mi |
| 3 pc | 5.75205e+13 mi |
| 5 pc | 9.58676e+13 mi |
| 10 pc | 1.91735e+14 mi |
| 20 pc | 3.8347e+14 mi |
| 25 pc | 4.79338e+14 mi |
| 50 pc | 9.58676e+14 mi |
| 75 pc | 1.43801e+15 mi |
| 100 pc | 1.91735e+15 mi |
| 250 pc | 4.79338e+15 mi |
| 500 pc | 9.58676e+15 mi |
| 1000 pc | 1.91735e+16 mi |
| 5000 pc | 9.58676e+16 mi |
Exact factor: 1 parsec = 1.91735115767e+13 miles.
| Quantity | pc | mi |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 2.774e-18 pc | 5.319e-05 mi |
| A door height | 6.585e-17 pc | 0.001263 mi |
| An Olympic pool | 1.620e-15 pc | 0.03107 mi |
| The Eiffel Tower | 1.069e-14 pc | 0.2051 mi |
| A marathon | 1.367e-12 pc | 26.22 mi |
| Earth’s diameter | 4.129e-10 pc | 7918 mi |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.