One point is exactly 1.143274916e-20 parsecs, so converting points to parsecs is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
The DTP point: exactly 1/72 inch, the unit type size is set in. The distance at which one astronomical unit subtends one arcsecond: about 3.26 light-years.
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". The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in parsecs, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
points- The amount you are converting, in points
1.14327491600e-20- The exact number of parsecs in one point
parsecs- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in points.
- It is multiplied by 1.14327491600e-20, 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: 243 pt in parsecs
A credit card’s long edge comes to about 243 pt. Multiplying by the factor: 243 × 1.14327e-20 = 2.77816e-18 pc. Dividing the answer back by 1.14327e-20 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
A door height: 5760 pt in parsecs
Take a door height, roughly 5760 pt. The conversion is a single multiplication — 5760 × 1.14327e-20 — giving 6.58526e-17 pc. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 1.31705e-16 pc.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many parsecs are in one point?
Exactly 1.14327491600e-20. 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 points to parsecs?
parsecs = points × 1.14327491600e-20. Reversed, points = parsecs ÷ 1.14327491600e-20, which is the same as multiplying by 8.74680259320e+19.
Which is the bigger unit, the point or the parsec?
The parsec. One point is only 1.14327e-20 of a parsec, so it takes 8.74680e+19 points 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 point?
The DTP point: exactly 1/72 inch, the unit type size is set in.
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.
Points to parsecs reference tables
| Points | Parsecs |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pt | 5.71637e-21 pc |
| 1 pt | 1.14327e-20 pc |
| 2 pt | 2.28655e-20 pc |
| 3 pt | 3.42982e-20 pc |
| 5 pt | 5.71637e-20 pc |
| 10 pt | 1.14327e-19 pc |
| 20 pt | 2.28655e-19 pc |
| 25 pt | 2.85819e-19 pc |
| 50 pt | 5.71637e-19 pc |
| 75 pt | 8.57456e-19 pc |
| 100 pt | 1.14327e-18 pc |
| 250 pt | 2.85819e-18 pc |
| 500 pt | 5.71637e-18 pc |
| 1000 pt | 1.14327e-17 pc |
| 5000 pt | 5.71637e-17 pc |
Exact factor: 1 point = 1.14327491600e-20 parsecs.
| Quantity | pt | pc |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 242.6 pt | 2.774e-18 pc |
| A door height | 5760 pt | 6.585e-17 pc |
| An Olympic pool | 1.417e+05 pt | 1.620e-15 pc |
| The Eiffel Tower | 9.354e+05 pt | 1.069e-14 pc |
| A marathon | 1.196e+08 pt | 1.367e-12 pc |
| Earth’s diameter | 3.612e+10 pt | 4.129e-10 pc |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.