Parallax Calculator

Find a star's distance from its parallax angle.

Distance (pc) 10

Distance (ly) 32.616

Formula: d (pc) = 1 ÷ parallax (arcsec)

Step-by-step with your numbers:

1. Values used:

2. Parallax angle = 0.1 arcsec

4. Distance = 10pc

5. Distance = 32.616ly

Did we solve your problem today?

Parallax measures distance by the tiny shift in a star's position as Earth orbits the Sun.

The math behind it

d (parsecs) = 1 ÷ parallax (arcseconds). One parsec ≈ 3.26 light-years.

0.1 arcsec parallax → 10 pc (about 32.6 light-years).

Why is it limited?

Tiny angles for distant stars are hard to measure, capping the method's range.