parsec
/ˈpɑrsɛk/
noun
- A unit of distance used in astronomy, equal to about 3.26 light-years or 19 trillion miles (31 trillion kilometers).
- The spacecraft traveled a distance of several parsecs to reach the edge of the galaxy.
- The nearest star to our solar system is about 1.3 parsecs away.
- Astronomers measure distances to faraway galaxies in millions of parsecs.