Memory Alpha
Advertisement
Memory Alpha

A cubic parsec (parsec3) was a volume of space equivalent to a cube measuring one parsec on each side. Likewise, a cubic light year (ly3) was a volume of space equivalent to a cube measuring one light year on each side.

After Thomas Riker hijacked the USS Defiant, he later hid in Cardassian space, the unsuccessful search for the cloaked ship included twenty-six Cardassian warships scanning 14 cubic light years of space with anti-proton beams. (DS9: "Defiant")

Fourteen cubic light years ≈ 0.4 cubic parsecs.

When Captain James T. Kirk was abducted from the USS Enterprise, after entering Metron space while pursuing a Gorn raider in 2266, Spock explained that all he knew for sure was that Kirk was lost "out there somewhere in a 1,000 cubic parsecs of space, and there's absolutely nothing we can do to help him." (TOS: "Arena")

One thousand cubic parsecs ≈ 34,700 cubic light years.

Advertisement