# Chains to Parsecs (ch to pc)

Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/chains-to-parsecs/

**1 ch = 6.5194108809894E-16 pc**

One chain equals approximately 6.519 x 10-16 parsecs, a number so small it is meaningless outside of pure mathematics. The chain (66 feet / 20.12 m) measures farmland. The parsec (3.086 x 1016 m) measures distances between stars. These units are separated by about 16 orders of magnitude.

## Formula

Convert Chains to Parsecs

## Conversion Table

| Chains (ch) | Parsecs (pc) |
|---|---|
| 1 ch | 6.5194E-16 pc |
| 100 ch | 6.51941E-14 pc |
| 10000 ch | 6.51941088E-12 pc |
| 1000000 ch | 6.5194108809E-10 pc |
| 100000000 ch | 6.519410880989E-8 pc |
| 10000000000 ch | 6.5194108809894E-6 pc |
| 1000000000000 ch | 0.00065194108809894 pc |
| 100000000000000 ch | 0.065194108809894 pc |

## Units

### Chain (ch)

Exactly 66 feet or 4 rods (20.1168 m). Invented by Edmund Gunter for land surveying. 80 chains make one mile. Still used in US public land surveys.

### Parsec (pc)

The distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond. Approximately 3.26 light-years or 30.857 trillion kilometers. The standard unit in professional astronomy.

## Background

One parsec contains about 1.534 x 1015 chains (about 1.5 quadrillion). The nearest star at 1.3 parsecs is about 2 x 1015 chains away. No surveyor has ever needed parsecs, and no astronomer has ever needed chains. This conversion exists purely for mathematical completeness.

## Good to Know

The chain was invented to measure fields in 17th-century England. The parsec was invented to measure stars in 20th-century astronomy. Four centuries and 16 orders of magnitude separate these two innovations.

## FAQ

### How many parsecs is 1 chain?

One chain equals approximately 6.519 x 10-16 parsecs. This is about 652 quadrillionths of a parsec, a number with no practical meaning.

### How many chains are in 1 parsec?

One parsec contains approximately 1.534 x 1015 chains (about 1.5 quadrillion chains).

### Is this conversion ever needed?

Never. Chains and parsecs belong to entirely different scientific domains separated by 16 orders of magnitude. This conversion exists only for mathematical completeness.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### How many chains from here to the nearest star?

Proxima Centauri at 1.3 parsecs is about 2 x 1015 chains away. If you surveyed at one chain per minute, it would take about 3.8 billion years. The star would have moved considerably in that time. Worst surveying project ever.

### Is a parsec the ultimate chain extension?

A parsec is about 1.534 x 1014 chains. If you could somehow extend Gunter's chain to parsec length, it would weigh about 7.7 x 1014 kg (assuming 5 kg per chain), roughly the mass of a small asteroid. The universe's most impractical measuring tool.

### Did astronomers ever consider using chains?

No astronomer has ever expressed stellar distances in chains. The closest overlap is that both surveyors and astronomers use triangulation - but at scales 14 orders of magnitude apart. Same math, incomparably different triangles.

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## See Also

- [Parsecs to Chains](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/parsecs-to-chains/)