Final answer:
Betelgeuse is approximately 196.32 parsecs from Earth, with this value obtained by dividing its distance in light-years (640) by the light-year to parsec conversion factor of 3.26.
Step-by-step explanation:
The red supergiant star in Orion is named Betelgeuse, and it's located approximately 640 light-years (ly) from Earth. To convert this distance to parsecs (pc), we can use the fact that 1 parsec is equivalent to 3.26 light-years. Therefore, dividing 640 by 3.26 gives us the distance to Betelgeuse in parsecs.
Calculation:
640 ly / 3.26 ly/pc = 196.32 pc
Thus, Betelgeuse is about 196.32 parsecs away from us. Due to the vastness of space, converting between these units helps astronomers in describing distances more accurately.