21st Century Astronomy
6th Edition
ISBN: 9780393428063
Author: Kay
Publisher: NORTON
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Chapter 13, Problem 16QP
To determine
The uncertainty in the measurement of stars farther from earth
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Students have asked these similar questions
In 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)
Sun
Which star in the table below is the closest to Earth?
Star Name
d (parsecs)
Parallax (seconds of arc)
Spectral Type
$$ \delta $$ Cen
0.026
B2 IV
HR 4607
0.039
G8 III
HR 4758
20
G0 V
HR 39801
0.005
M2 I
9 CMa
2.5
A1 V
a.
$$ \delta $$ Cen
b.
HR 4607
c.
HR 4758
d.
HD 39801
e.
9 CMa
Why can’t astronomers use parallax to measure the distance to stars that are extremely far away?
Chapter 13 Solutions
21st Century Astronomy
Ch. 13.1 - Prob. 13.1CYUCh. 13.2 - Prob. 13.2CYUCh. 13.3 - Prob. 13.3CYUCh. 13.4 - Prob. 13.4CYUCh. 13 - Prob. 1QPCh. 13 - Prob. 2QPCh. 13 - Prob. 3QPCh. 13 - Prob. 4QPCh. 13 - Prob. 5QPCh. 13 - Prob. 6QP
Ch. 13 - Prob. 7QPCh. 13 - Prob. 8QPCh. 13 - Prob. 9QPCh. 13 - Prob. 10QPCh. 13 - Prob. 11QPCh. 13 - Prob. 12QPCh. 13 - Prob. 13QPCh. 13 - Prob. 14QPCh. 13 - Prob. 15QPCh. 13 - Prob. 16QPCh. 13 - Prob. 17QPCh. 13 - Prob. 18QPCh. 13 - Prob. 19QPCh. 13 - Prob. 20QPCh. 13 - Prob. 21QPCh. 13 - Prob. 22QPCh. 13 - Prob. 23QPCh. 13 - Prob. 24QPCh. 13 - Prob. 25QPCh. 13 - Prob. 26QPCh. 13 - Prob. 27QPCh. 13 - Prob. 28QPCh. 13 - Prob. 29QPCh. 13 - Prob. 30QPCh. 13 - Prob. 31QPCh. 13 - Prob. 32QPCh. 13 - Prob. 33QPCh. 13 - Prob. 34QPCh. 13 - Prob. 35QPCh. 13 - Prob. 36QPCh. 13 - Prob. 37QPCh. 13 - Prob. 38QPCh. 13 - Prob. 39QPCh. 13 - Prob. 40QPCh. 13 - Prob. 41QPCh. 13 - Prob. 42QPCh. 13 - Prob. 43QPCh. 13 - Prob. 44QPCh. 13 - Prob. 45QP
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Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- What is the advantage of measuring a parallax distance to a star as compared to our other distance measuring methods?arrow_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_forwardYou measure a star to have a parallax angle of 0.12 arc-seconds What is the distance to this star in parsecs? 8.33 Hint: d = 1/p What is the parallax angle of a different star that is twice as far away as the star from the previous problems? [answer in arc-seconds without including the unit]arrow_forward
- The satellite Hipparcos was launched in 1989 to measure very accurate parallax angles of stars; it has provided the most accurate parallax measurements ever obtained. The smallest parallax angle it can measure is 0.002". How far away is the most distant star to which Hipparcos can measure the distance?arrow_forward15: 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_forwardWhich star in the table of stellar data has the largest parallax? Star distance (pc) parallax angle (")| m M A 100 2 В 0.1 4 C 25 0.040 6 D 0.025 А. А О В. В O C.C O D.Darrow_forward
- the parallax angle of a star to be 0.002 arc-seconds. what would the distance be to this star?arrow_forwardIf 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-yearsarrow_forwardWhich star in the table below has the greatest diameter? Star Name d (parsecs) Parallax (seconds of arc) Spectral Type 65 Tau 0.025 A7 IV HR 4621 B2 IV $$ \alpha $$ Pic 20 A7 V 58 Ori 0.005 M2 I HR 2491 2.5 A1 V a. 65 Tau b. HR 4621 c. $$ \alpha $$ Pic d. 58 Ori e. HR 2491arrow_forward
- Why would it be easier to take parallax measurements if we were on a planet farther from the sun than Earth?arrow_forwardWhat is the parallax of a star that is 150 pc from Earth?arrow_forwardThe 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_forward
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