Stellar Parallax Sandbox

See how Earth's orbit reveals stellar distances through parallax

Station Card (PDF)
Observer's View (Star Field)
Top-Down View (Solar System)
Distance
1.30
parsecs
Distance
4.24
light-years
Parallax Angle
0.768
arcsec
Measurable?
Yes
Gaia: easy
January
Distance to Star 1.30 pc
1 pc (3.26 ly) 10,000 pc (32,600 ly)
Measurement Precision
Star Presets (with Gaia Data)
Nearby Stars
Distant Objects
1" (arcsec) = 1/3600 degree 1 mas = 0.001 arcsec Full Moon = 1800"

The Parsec Definition

A parsec (pc) is the distance at which 1 AU subtends an angle of 1 arcsecond.

d (pc) = 1 / p (arcsec)

This elegant relationship means: larger parallax = closer star.

Proxima Centauri (p = 0.768") is only 1.30 pc away. The Galactic Center (p = 0.000125") is 8000 pc away, at the limit of Gaia's precision.