Megaparsec Megaparsec

Megaparsec - Definition and Overview

The megaparsec (abbreviated Mpc) is a unit of distance used in astronomy, equal to one million parsecs.

It is the most common unit of distance employed in extragalactic astronomy.

Conversion tables

1 Mpc = 1000 kpc = 1,000,000 pc
1 Mpc = 3.26×106 ly (approximate)
1 Mpc = 3.086×1022 m (approximate)

Some approximate distances in megaparsecs

Distance from Solar System to center of the Milky Way 0.009 Mpc
Diameter of the Milky Way 0.02 Mpc
Distance to the Andromeda Galaxy 0.6 Mpc
Distance to the Virgo cluster 17 Mpc - 22 Mpc
Distance to the RXJ1242-11 Galaxy 200 Mpc

Copyright 2009 WordIQ.com - Privacy Policy  :: Terms of Use  :: Contact Us  :: About Us
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the this Wikipedia article.