In the geometric definition of a parsec, what length serves as the short leg of the right triangle used?
Answer
1 AU (the Earth-Sun distance).
The geometric derivation of the parsec uses a right triangle where the short leg is $1 ext{ AU}$, the Earth-Sun distance.
#Videos
PARSECS, Light Years, or AU? (Astronomy) - YouTube
Related Questions
Which unit dwarfs the other when comparing Astronomical Units and parsecs?What distance does the Astronomical Unit ($ ext{AU}$) fundamentally represent?What concepts are contracted to form the name 'parsec'?In the geometric definition of a parsec, what length serves as the short leg of the right triangle used?Why is using $ ext{AU}$ impractical for describing interstellar distances like that to Proxima Centauri?Approximately how many Astronomical Units comprise one parsec?According to the text, how does the parsec compare in magnitude to the light-year ($ ext{ly}$)?What is the general rule of thumb for choosing between $ ext{AU}$ and $ ext{pc}$ usage context?Which unit is introduced to measure distances within the Milky Way, such as the $8 ext{ kpc}$ distance to the galactic center?What is the standard unit for measuring intergalactic distances, like the distance to Andromeda ($ ext{0.78 Mpc}$)?