# Parsecs to Rods (pc to rd)

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

**1 pc = 6.1355237045482E+15 rd**

One parsec equals approximately 6.138 x 1015 rods (about 6.1 quadrillion). The parsec measures interstellar space; the rod measures medieval English land. About 16 orders of magnitude separate professional astronomy from 13th-century surveying.

## Formula

Convert Parsecs to Rods

## Conversion Table

| Parsecs (pc) | Rods (rd) |
|---|---|
| 1.0E-13 pc | 613.55237045482 rd |
| 1.0E-12 pc | 6135.5237045482 rd |
| 1.0E-11 pc | 61355.237045482 rd |
| 1.0E-10 pc | 613552.37045482 rd |
| 1.0E-9 pc | 6135523.7045482 rd |
| 1.0E-8 pc | 61355237.045482 rd |
| 1.0E-7 pc | 613552370.45482 rd |
| 1.0E-6 pc | 6135523704.5482 rd |
| 1.0E-5 pc | 61355237045.482 rd |
| 0.0001 pc | 613552370454.82 rd |
| 0.001 pc | 6135523704548.2 rd |
| 0.01 pc | 61355237045482 rd |
| 0.1 pc | 6.1355237045482E+14 rd |
| 1 pc | 6.1355237045482E+15 rd |
| 1.3 pc | 7.9761808159126E+15 rd |

## Units

### 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.

### Rod (rd)

Exactly 16.5 feet or 5.5 yards (5.0292 m). Also called a perch or pole. Historically used in land surveying.

## Background

A parsec is about 6.1 quadrillion rods. A rod (5.03 m) is 1.63 x 10-16 parsecs. No medieval surveyor imagined distances measured in quadrillions of their rods.

## Good to Know

The rod was state-of-the-art measurement in the 13th century. The parsec is state-of-the-art measurement in the 21st century. Both serve the same purpose: quantifying the space around us. The rod measured the field outside the village. The parsec measures the galaxy outside the solar system. Ambition scales with technology.

## FAQ

### How many rods are in 1 parsec?

One parsec contains approximately 6.138 x 1015 rods.

### How many parsecs is 1 rod?

One rod equals approximately 1.63 x 10-16 parsecs.

### Is this conversion used?

Never. Medieval land surveying and stellar astronomy share no practical domain.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### How many medieval fields fit between Earth and the nearest star?

A strip field was about 1 rod x 40 rods (1 x 40). Proxima Centauri at 1.3 pc = 7.98 x 1015 rods. That is about 2 x 1014 strip fields end-to-end. Medieval farming cannot reach the stars by any number of furrows.

### If every rod ever used for surveying were connected, how many parsecs?

If 10 million rods were manufactured over 700 years: 107 rods x 5.03 m = 50.3 million m = 1.63 x 10-9 parsecs. All surveying rods in history reach about 1.6 billionths of a parsec. Surveying has not measured enough of the universe.

### What replaced the rod? What will replace the parsec?

The meter replaced the rod for land measurement. Nothing has yet replaced the parsec for stellar measurement. But as measurement techniques evolve, custom units for specific scales may emerge. The parsec may eventually seem as archaic as the rod. Every unit has a shelf life.

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## See Also

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