Generally speaking, parallax is the apparent shift in the direction to an object as seen from two different locations. This shift can be used to determine distances (through "triangulation"). Stellar parallax occurs as the Earth orbits the Sun and our line of sight to a nearby star varies. The effect is to make the star appear to shift position over the course of the year. In reality, stellar distances are so great that parallax shifts are less than an arc second, completely unobservable to the unaided eye.
Figure: Stellar parallax occurs as the Earth orbits the Sun
and our line of sight to a nearby star varies. The effect is to make
the star appear to shift position over the course of the year. In
reality, stellar distances are so great that parallax shifts are less
than an arc second, completely unobservable to the unaided eye.