Parsec to Light-Year Converter

Summary

Enter a distance in parsecs, light-years, AU, or kilometers and instantly get all four unit equivalents plus a quick-reference table of well-known distances.

How it works

1. Select the unit you want to convert from (parsecs, light-years, AU, or kilometers).
2. Enter the numeric value in the input field.
3. The converter immediately calculates and displays all four unit equivalents.
4. Click any quick-reference row in the table below to load that distance into the converter.
5. Use the Copy button to copy the full result set to your clipboard.

Use cases

• Convert catalog distances between parsecs and light-years for astronomy coursework.
• Check how many AU a nearby star's distance corresponds to.
• Compare the scale of distances from planetary orbits to galaxy clusters.
• Quickly verify a published distance against your own calculation.
• Load well-known distances (Proxima Centauri, Andromeda, etc.) from the reference table.
• Convert spacecraft trajectory distances between kilometers and parsecs.

Frequently Asked Questions