To convert picas to astronomical units, multiply by 2.829808548e-14. That factor is the whole relationship: both units measure length, so the conversion is a proportion with no offset and no substance-specific constant.
Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout. Exactly 149,597,870,700 metres — the Earth–Sun distance, and the natural ruler for the solar system.
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". The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in astronomical units, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
picas- The amount you are converting, in picas
2.82980854843e-14- The exact number of astronomical units in one pica
astronomical units- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in picas.
- It is multiplied by 2.82980854843e-14, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in astronomical units, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A credit card’s long edge: 20.2 pica in astronomical units
At 20.2 pica (a credit card’s long edge), the same quantity in astronomical units is 20.2 × 2.82981e-14 = 5.71621e-13 AU. One pica is 2.82981e-14 astronomical units, so the numbers shrink as expected.
The Eiffel Tower: 7.8e+04 pica in astronomical units
At 7.8e+04 pica (the eiffel tower), the same quantity in astronomical units is 7.8e+04 × 2.82981e-14 = 2.20725e-09 AU. One pica is 2.82981e-14 astronomical units, so the numbers shrink as expected.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many astronomical units are in one pica?
Exactly 2.82980854843e-14. 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 picas to astronomical units?
astronomical units = picas × 2.82980854843e-14. Reversed, picas = astronomical units ÷ 2.82980854843e-14, which is the same as multiplying by 3.53380796929e+13.
Which is the bigger unit, the pica or the astronomical unit?
The astronomical unit. One pica is only 2.82981e-14 of a astronomical unit, so it takes 3.53381e+13 picas to make one astronomical unit.
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 pica?
Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout.
What is a astronomical unit?
Exactly 149,597,870,700 metres — the Earth–Sun distance, and the natural ruler for the solar system.
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.
Picas to astronomical units reference tables
| Picas | Astronomical Units |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pica | 1.41490e-14 AU |
| 1 pica | 2.82981e-14 AU |
| 2 pica | 5.65962e-14 AU |
| 3 pica | 8.48943e-14 AU |
| 5 pica | 1.41490e-13 AU |
| 10 pica | 2.82981e-13 AU |
| 20 pica | 5.65962e-13 AU |
| 25 pica | 7.07452e-13 AU |
| 50 pica | 1.41490e-12 AU |
| 75 pica | 2.12236e-12 AU |
| 100 pica | 2.82981e-12 AU |
| 250 pica | 7.07452e-12 AU |
| 500 pica | 1.41490e-11 AU |
| 1000 pica | 2.82981e-11 AU |
| 5000 pica | 1.41490e-10 AU |
Exact factor: 1 pica = 2.82980854843e-14 astronomical units.
| Quantity | pica | AU |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 20.22 pica | 5.722e-13 AU |
| A door height | 480 pica | 1.358e-11 AU |
| An Olympic pool | 1.181e+04 pica | 3.342e-10 AU |
| The Eiffel Tower | 7.795e+04 pica | 2.206e-09 AU |
| A marathon | 9.967e+06 pica | 2.821e-07 AU |
| Earth’s diameter | 3.01e+09 pica | 8.518e-05 AU |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.