The star Proxima Centauri has a parallax of 0.77 arcsec (the largest parallax known). How far is this star system from the Sun in light-years? (Careful with units!)
A) 4.24 ly
B) 0.41 ly
C) 1.33 ly
D) 0.75 ly

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The distance in parsecs can be calculated as 1/parallax in arcseconds, which gives 1/0.77 = 1.30 parsecs. Since 1 parsec is approximately 3.26 light-years, the distance in light-years is 1.30 * 3.26 = 4.24 light-years.

The Star Proxima Centauri Has a Parallax of 0