Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)
14th Edition
ISBN: 9781337399920
Author: Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Chapter 2, Problem 3P
To determine
The magnitude difference of the two stars.
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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
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
Consider two identical stars, A and B. Star B is 10 times farther away than star A. What is the differencein magnitudes between the two stars?
Chapter 2 Solutions
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)
Ch. 2 - Why are most of the constellations that were...Ch. 2 - Prob. 2RQCh. 2 - Which is the asterism and which is the...Ch. 2 - Prob. 4RQCh. 2 - Prob. 5RQCh. 2 - What does the word apparent mean in apparent...Ch. 2 - Prob. 7RQCh. 2 - Prob. 8RQCh. 2 - Prob. 9RQCh. 2 - Prob. 10RQ
Ch. 2 - Why doesnt a magnitude difference of one mean that...Ch. 2 - Prob. 12RQCh. 2 - In what ways is the celestial sphere a scientific...Ch. 2 - Is the precessing top shown in Figure 2-7a an...Ch. 2 - How would you define the celestial poles and...Ch. 2 - Where would you need to go on Earth to see the...Ch. 2 - Where would you go on Earth if you wanted to be...Ch. 2 - Your zenith is at your east point and your nadir...Ch. 2 - Why does the number of circumpolar constellations...Ch. 2 - Explain two reasons winter days are colder than...Ch. 2 - How does the date of the beginning of summer in...Ch. 2 - If it is the first day of spring in your...Ch. 2 - It is the first day of summer. Will the days start...Ch. 2 - How much flux from the Sun does the Northern...Ch. 2 - Why does the eccentric shape of Earths orbit make...Ch. 2 - How Do We Know? How can a scientific model be...Ch. 2 - How Do We Know? Why is astrology a pseudoscience?Ch. 2 - How Do We Know? Why must a scientific argument...Ch. 2 - Prob. 1PCh. 2 - Prob. 2PCh. 2 - Prob. 3PCh. 2 - Prob. 4PCh. 2 - Prob. 5PCh. 2 - Prob. 6PCh. 2 - If two stars differ by 8 magnitudes, what is their...Ch. 2 - Prob. 8PCh. 2 - Prob. 9PCh. 2 - By what factor is the full moon brighter than...Ch. 2 - What is the angular distance from the north...Ch. 2 - If you are at latitude 40 degrees north of Earths...Ch. 2 - If you are at latitude 30 degrees north of Earths...Ch. 2 - How many precession periods are in one cycle of...Ch. 2 - Arrange the following in order of increasing...Ch. 2 - Arrange the following in order of increasing...Ch. 2 - Find the Big Dipper in the star trails photograph...Ch. 2 - Look at The Sky Around You, item 1a. In the...Ch. 2 - Look at the view from Earth on March 1 in Figure...Ch. 2 - Look at Figure 2-9, shown here. If you see...
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- As seen from Earth, the Sun has an apparent magnitude of about 26.7 . What is the apparent magnitude of the Sun as seen from Saturn, about 10 AU away? (Remember that one AU is the distance from Earth to the Sun and that the brightness decreases as the inverse square of the distance.) Would the Sun still be the brightest star in the sky?arrow_forwardStar A and Star B have different apparent brightnesses but identical luminosities. If Star A is 20 light-years away from Earth and Star B is 40 light-years away from Earth, which star appears brighter and by what factor?arrow_forwardDo stars that look brighter in the sky have larger or smaller magnitudes than fainter stars?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_forwardConsider two identical stars, A and B. Star B is 10 times farther away than star A. What is the difference in magnitudes between the two stars?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_forward
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