Understanding Our Universe
3rd Edition
ISBN: 9780393614428
Author: PALEN, Stacy, Kay, Laura, Blumenthal, George (george Ray)
Publisher: W.w. Norton & Company,
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Chapter 10, Problem 39QAP
To determine
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Solve the following problem:
Two stars, named A and B, each with a mass equal to the Sun's mass are in orbit around each other. If the distance between the two stars is 1.0 AU. What is the period of their orbit?
Describe each step in solving the problem:
If we view a star now, and then view it again 6 months later, our position will have changed by the diameter of the Earth's orbit around the sun. For nearby stars (within 100 light-years or so), the change in viewing location is sufficient to make the star appear to be in a slightly different location in the sky. Half of the angle from one location to the next is known as the parallax angle (see figure). Parallax can be used to measure the distance to the star. An approximate relationship is given by
d =
3.26
p
,
where d is the distance in light-years, and p is the parallax measured in seconds of arc. Vega is a star that has a parallax angle of 0.13 second. How far is Vega from the sun? Note: Parallax is used not only to measure stellar distances. Our binocular vision actually provides the brain with a parallax angle that it uses to estimate distances to objects we see. (Round your answer to two decimal places.) light-years
A particular star is 4.5 × 1014 km away from Earth.
What is this distance in light-years (ly)?
Chapter 10 Solutions
Understanding Our Universe
Ch. 10.1 - Prob. 10.1CYUCh. 10.2 - Prob. 10.2CYUCh. 10.3 - Prob. 10.3CYUCh. 10.4 - Prob. 10.4CYUCh. 10 - Prob. 1QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 2QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 3QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 4QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 5QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 6QAP
Ch. 10 - Prob. 7QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 8QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 9QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 10QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 11QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 12QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 13QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 14QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 15QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 16QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 17QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 18QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 19QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 20QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 21QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 22QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 23QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 24QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 25QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 26QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 27QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 28QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 29QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 31QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 32QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 33QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 34QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 35QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 36QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 37QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 38QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 39QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 40QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 41QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 42QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 43QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 44QAPCh. 10 - Prob. 45QAP
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- 15: A star has a parallax angle of 0.0270 arcseconds and an apparent magnitude of 4.641. What is the distance to this star? Answer: 37 16: What is the absolute magnitude of this star? Answer:1.8 17: Is this star more or less luminous than the Sun? Answer "M" for More luminous or "L" for Less luminous. (HINT: the absolute magnitude of the Sun is 4.8) Answer: M 18: What is the luminosity of this star? (HINT: The luminosity of the Sun is 3.85×1026 W.) Please answer question #18, #15-17 are correct, the photos provide the work for them.arrow_forwardIn the parallax method of determining stellar distances, the angle to a star is measured while the earth is on one side of the sun and then again six months later, as in the diagram below. Assume the earth-sun distance is 1 Astronomical Unit. The parallax angle of Alpha Centauri is 0= 2.1 x 10-4 ° . Find the distance from the sun to a Centauri in light years. Assume a circular orbit for the Earth. a Centauri Earth (June) Earth (December) Sunarrow_forwardThe nearest star to our solar system is 4.29 light years away. How much is thisdistance in terms of parsecs? How much parallax would this star (named Alpha Centauri) show when viewed from two locations of the Earth six months apart in its orbit around the Sun ?arrow_forward
- Use a diagram to explain what is meant by the parallax angle, p, for a star observed twice from Earth, with a 6-month interval between each observation. Hence define the parsec, and calculate its value in astronomical units and metres. The star Betelgeuse is observed to have a parallax angle p = 4.5 × 10−3 arcseconds. State the distance of Betelgeuse in units of parsecs and light years.arrow_forwardAn imperial tie-fighter spaceship is 25 parsecs south of a rebel x-wing ship. If the tie-fighter heads N72°W for 7.72 parsecs, what bearing should the x-wing use to intercept the imperial ship at a 90° angle?arrow_forwardThe Algol binary system consists of a 3.7 Msun star and a 0.8 Msun star with an orbital period of 2.87 days. Using Newton’s version of Kepler’s Third Law, calculate the distance, a, between the two stars. Compare that to the size of Betelgeuse (you’ll need to look that up). Newton’s Version of Kepler’s Law: (M1 + M2) P2 = (4p2 /G) a3 Rearrange the equation to solve for a. Pi, p, is equal to 3.14. IMPORTANT NOTE: Google the value of G (the Universal Gravitational Constant) or look it up in your text. NOTICE THE UNITS. You must convert every distance and time in your equation to the same units, otherwise, you’ll get an incorrect answer. That means you must convert distances to meters, solar masses to kilograms, and time to seconds. When you compare your value to the size of Betelgeuse, it will also help that they are in the same units.arrow_forward
- The star Sirius has an apparent magnitude of -1.46 and appears 95-times brighter compared tothe more distant star Tau Ceti, which has an absolute magnitude of 5.69.(a) Explain the terms apparent magnitude, absolute magnitude and bolometric magnitude.(b) Calculate the apparent magnitude of the star Tau Ceti.(c) Find the distance between the Earth and Tau Ceti.www.arrow_forwardWhat is the parallax of a star that is 13.00 light-years away?arrow_forwardAssume that there are 2 stars - Aqua and Ruby. They are in orbit around a massive star which is named as Star Ai that has a mass 5.98 x 1028 kg. The orbit of Ruby is circle and has a period of 1.430 yrs. The orbit of Aqua is an ellipse. At its periapsis, the distance of Star Aqua is twice as far from Star Ai than Star Ruby is. Solve how far is Star Aqua's apoapsis if Star Aqua is considered 3.250 times faster in periapsis than in apoapsis. Note: You can ignore the gravitational interaction that exists between Star Aqua and Star Ruby. Use the figure to understand the problem better. Aqua periapsis Choices: a. 1.9x10¹¹ m b. 3.8x10¹1 m c. 3.6x10¹0 m d. 1.2x10¹¹ m Ruby Ai apoapsisarrow_forward
- Consider a star at a distance of 100 light years from the Earth and is moving relative to the Earth at a constant velocity of 70000 km/hr perpendicular to its line of sight from the Earth. What is the change of its angular position on our sky when viewed by us now and by the ancient Egyptian 6000 years ago? Ignore all other effect, e.g., the axial precession of the Earth. 1. (A) 0.24 arcsecond (В) 13 arcminutes (C) 0.5 degree (D) 2.6 degrees (E) 5.0 degreesarrow_forwardThe star Spica is observed to have a parallax of 0.012000. How far away is it in parsecs answers to three significant figures.arrow_forwardWhat is the distance in parsecs to Vega, which has an annual parallax of 0.129 arcsec.arrow_forward
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