The word parsec is a portmanteau of "parallax of one second" and was coined by the British astronomer Herbert Hall Turner in 1913 to simplify astronomers' calculations of astronomical distances from only raw observational data. Partly for this reason, it is the unit preferred in astronomy and astrophysics, though the light-year remains prominent in popular science texts and common usage. Although parsecs are used for the shorter distances within the Milky Way, multiples of parsecs are required for the larger scales in the universe, including kilo parsecs (kpc) for the more distant objects within and around the Milky Way, mega parsecs (Mpc) for mid-distance galaxies, and giga parsecs (Gpc) for many quasars and the most distant galaxies.