kpc
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Astronomy & Space
| Stands for | Kiloparsec |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
kpc stands for Kiloparsec, an astronomy & Space abbreviation.
One thousand parsecs, about 3,260 light-years, the natural unit for distances within galaxies. The Sun lies about 8.2 kpc from the center of the Milky Way, and the galaxy's stellar disk spans roughly 30 kpc.
Example: The globular cluster orbits about 15 kpc from the Galactic center, well out in the halo.
Usage notes
Distances to nearby galaxies such as the Large Magellanic Cloud, at about 50 kpc, are also given in kiloparsecs. The precise distance to the Galactic center was refined using the orbits of stars around the central black hole, Sagittarius A*.
Related abbreviations
More astronomy & Space abbreviations
- ISS – International Space Station
- JAXA – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
- JD – Julian date (Julian Day number)
- JPL – Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- JWST – James Webb Space Telescope
- KBO – Kuiper belt object
- LCDM – Lambda cold dark matter
- LEM – Lunar Excursion Module
- LEO – Low Earth orbit
- LISA – Laser Interferometer Space Antenna
- LOX – Liquid oxygen
- LSST – Legacy Survey of Space and Time