parsec
pronunciation
How to pronounce parsec in British English:
UK ['pɑːsek]
How to pronounce parsec in American English:
US [ 'pɑr,sɛk]
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- Noun:
- a unit of astronomical length based on the distance from Earth at which stellar parallax is 1 second of arc; equivalent to 3.262 light years
Word Origin
- parsec (n.)
- interstellar distance measure, 1913, from first elements of parallax second. It is the distance at which an object has parallax (viewed from Earth) of one second of arc, or about 3.26 light-years.