To convert meters to parsecs, multiply by 3.240779289e-17. That factor is the whole relationship: both units measure length, so the conversion is a proportion with no offset and no substance-specific constant.
The distance at which one astronomical unit subtends one arcsecond: about 3.26 light-years. The SI base unit of length, defined by the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second.
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". Below the calculator there is a step table for the values people look up most, and a second table putting real length figures into parsecs so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
meters- The amount you are converting, in meters
3.24077928944e-17- The exact number of parsecs in one meter
parsecs- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in meters.
- It is multiplied by 3.24077928944e-17, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in parsecs, 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: 0.0856 m in parsecs
At 0.0856 m (a credit card’s long edge), the same quantity in parsecs is 0.0856 × 3.24078e-17 = 2.77411e-18 pc. One meter is 3.24078e-17 parsecs, so the numbers shrink as expected.
A door height: 2.03 m in parsecs
At 2.03 m (a door height), the same quantity in parsecs is 2.03 × 3.24078e-17 = 6.57878e-17 pc. One meter is 3.24078e-17 parsecs, so the numbers shrink as expected.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many parsecs are in one meter?
Exactly 3.24077928944e-17. 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 meters to parsecs?
parsecs = meters × 3.24077928944e-17. Reversed, meters = parsecs ÷ 3.24077928944e-17, which is the same as multiplying by 3.08567758149e+16.
Which is the bigger unit, the meter or the parsec?
The parsec. One meter is only 3.24078e-17 of a parsec, so it takes 3.08568e+16 meters to make one parsec.
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 meter?
The SI base unit of length, defined by the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second.
What is a parsec?
The distance at which one astronomical unit subtends one arcsecond: about 3.26 light-years.
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.
Meters to parsecs reference tables
| Meters | Parsecs |
|---|---|
| 0.5 m | 1.62039e-17 pc |
| 1 m | 3.24078e-17 pc |
| 2 m | 6.48156e-17 pc |
| 3 m | 9.72234e-17 pc |
| 5 m | 1.62039e-16 pc |
| 10 m | 3.24078e-16 pc |
| 20 m | 6.48156e-16 pc |
| 25 m | 8.10195e-16 pc |
| 50 m | 1.62039e-15 pc |
| 75 m | 2.43058e-15 pc |
| 100 m | 3.24078e-15 pc |
| 250 m | 8.10195e-15 pc |
| 500 m | 1.62039e-14 pc |
| 1000 m | 3.24078e-14 pc |
| 5000 m | 1.62039e-13 pc |
Exact factor: 1 meter = 3.24077928944e-17 parsecs.
| Quantity | m | pc |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 0.0856 m | 2.774e-18 pc |
| A door height | 2.032 m | 6.585e-17 pc |
| An Olympic pool | 50 m | 1.620e-15 pc |
| The Eiffel Tower | 330 m | 1.069e-14 pc |
| A marathon | 4.22e+04 m | 1.367e-12 pc |
| Earth’s diameter | 1.274e+07 m | 4.129e-10 pc |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.