One parsec is exactly 1.666132603e+13 nautical miles, so converting parsecs to nautical miles is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
Exactly 1,852 metres — one minute of latitude, the basis of marine and air navigation. The distance at which one astronomical unit subtends one arcsecond: about 3.26 light-years.
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 nautical miles so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
parsecs- The amount you are converting, in parsecs
1.6661326034e+13- The exact number of nautical miles in one parsec
nautical miles- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in parsecs.
- It is multiplied by 1.6661326034e+13, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in nautical 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 nautical miles
A larger figure comes to about 100 pc. Multiplying by the factor: 100 × 1.66613e+13 = 1.66613e+15 nmi. Dividing the answer back by 1.66613e+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 nautical miles
At 1 pc (a round figure), the same quantity in nautical miles is 1 × 1.66613e+13 = 1.66613e+13 nmi. One parsec is 1.66613e+13 nautical miles, so the numbers grow as expected.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many nautical miles are in one parsec?
Exactly 1.6661326034e+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 nautical miles?
nautical miles = parsecs × 1.6661326034e+13. Reversed, parsecs = nautical miles ÷ 1.6661326034e+13, which is the same as multiplying by 6.00192324405e-14.
Which is the bigger unit, the parsec or the nautical mile?
The parsec. One parsec equals 1.66613e+13 nautical 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 nautical mile?
Exactly 1,852 metres — one minute of latitude, the basis of marine and air navigation.
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 nmi in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: multiply by 1.7000e+13 instead of using the exact factor 1.6661e+13. At 100 that shortcut gives 1.7000e+15 nautical miles, off by 3.3867e+13 nautical miles or about 2.03%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Parsecs to nautical miles reference tables
| Parsecs | Nautical Miles |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pc | 8.33066e+12 nmi |
| 1 pc | 1.66613e+13 nmi |
| 2 pc | 3.33227e+13 nmi |
| 3 pc | 4.9984e+13 nmi |
| 5 pc | 8.33066e+13 nmi |
| 10 pc | 1.66613e+14 nmi |
| 20 pc | 3.33227e+14 nmi |
| 25 pc | 4.16533e+14 nmi |
| 50 pc | 8.33066e+14 nmi |
| 75 pc | 1.24960e+15 nmi |
| 100 pc | 1.66613e+15 nmi |
| 250 pc | 4.16533e+15 nmi |
| 500 pc | 8.33066e+15 nmi |
| 1000 pc | 1.66613e+16 nmi |
| 5000 pc | 8.33066e+16 nmi |
Exact factor: 1 parsec = 1.6661326034e+13 nautical miles.
| Quantity | pc | nmi |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 2.774e-18 pc | 4.622e-05 nmi |
| A door height | 6.585e-17 pc | 0.001097 nmi |
| An Olympic pool | 1.620e-15 pc | 0.027 nmi |
| The Eiffel Tower | 1.069e-14 pc | 0.1782 nmi |
| A marathon | 1.367e-12 pc | 22.78 nmi |
| Earth’s diameter | 4.129e-10 pc | 6880 nmi |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.