Star Wars vs Science: What’s a Parsec?

“What’s a parsec, really?” If you’ve ever watched Star Wars, you’ve probably heard Han Solo brag that the Millennium Falcon made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. But here's the twist—a parsec isn’t a unit of time at all. It’s actually a measure of distance used in astronomy, and it's based on a phenomenon called parallax.

In this short video, we break down the science behind parsecs: how they relate to light-years, why they matter to astronomers, and where the term comes from ("parallax of one arc second"). You'll even learn how to spot parallax yourself with a simple eye trick.

This is where pop culture meets real science, and it turns out Han Solo's flex doesn't quite check out—but it still sounds cool. 😎