Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)
10th Edition
ISBN: 9781337399944
Author: Michael A. Seeds
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
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)
Ch. 2 - Prob. 1RQCh. 2 - Prob. 2RQCh. 2 - Prob. 3RQCh. 2 - Prob. 4RQCh. 2 - Prob. 5RQCh. 2 - Prob. 6RQCh. 2 - Prob. 7RQCh. 2 - Prob. 8RQCh. 2 - Prob. 9RQCh. 2 - Prob. 10RQ
Ch. 2 - Prob. 11RQCh. 2 - Prob. 12RQCh. 2 - Prob. 13RQCh. 2 - Prob. 14RQCh. 2 - Prob. 15RQCh. 2 - Prob. 16RQCh. 2 - Prob. 17RQCh. 2 - Prob. 18RQCh. 2 - Prob. 19RQCh. 2 - Prob. 20RQCh. 2 - Prob. 21RQCh. 2 - Prob. 22RQCh. 2 - Prob. 23RQCh. 2 - Prob. 24RQCh. 2 - Prob. 25RQCh. 2 - Prob. 26RQCh. 2 - Prob. 27RQCh. 2 - Prob. 28RQCh. 2 - Prob. 1PCh. 2 - Prob. 2PCh. 2 - Prob. 3PCh. 2 - Prob. 4PCh. 2 - Prob. 5PCh. 2 - Prob. 6PCh. 2 - Prob. 7PCh. 2 - Prob. 8PCh. 2 - Prob. 9PCh. 2 - Prob. 10PCh. 2 - What is the angular distance from the north...Ch. 2 - Prob. 12PCh. 2 - Prob. 13PCh. 2 - Prob. 14PCh. 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 - Prob. 3LLCh. 2 - Prob. 4LL
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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
- Consider 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_forwardAs we read in the book, a star that appears to be 1 magnitude brighter will have approximately 2.5 times as much flux hitting an observer's detector/telescope/eye (i.e. a star with an apparent magnitude of 4 has approximately 2.5 times more flux hitting the detector as a star with an apparent magnitude of 5). With this in mind what is the approximate ratio of the flux hitting the a detector for a star with an apparent magnitude of 3 compared to a star with an apparent magnitude of 7? (hint: remember that magnitudes follow a logarithmic scale, not a linear one)arrow_forward
- Distance from Apparent Brightness (rank; brightest, 8 = dimmest) Name of Star Earth (light years) | 1 = Sun Sirius 8.6 Canopus Arcturus 309 3. 36.7 4 Rigel Vega Alpha Centauri Bernard's Star 773 5 25.3 4.3 7 5.9 8 13 What sentence explains why a star can be much farther from Earth than the Sun, but still be bright? nida nenv A. Distance from Earth and apparent brightness are related. B. Bright stars that are farther away are larger than the Sun. C. The higher it appears in the sky, the brighter the star. D. The apparent brightness scale goes up as stars get dimmer. del sdTarrow_forwardWhich of the following is least reasonable regarding the magnitude scale: Group of answer choices The numerical difference between a star's absolute and apparent magnitudes is a measure of the distance to the star. If the Sun were moved to a distance of 10 parsecs, its apparent magnitude would be about 4.8 and it would therefore not be visible to the naked eye. The fact that Sun's absolute magnitude of 4.8 is greater than the Sun's apparent magnitude of -27 implies that the Sun is a lot closer than 10 parsecs. Apparent magnitude measures a star's apparent brightness when viewed at the star's actual distance from the observer. A star's absolute magnitude is its apparent magnitude when viewed from a distance of 10 parsecs.arrow_forwardYou measure a star to have a parallax angle of 0.12 arc-seconds. What fraction of a degree is this? By how many times would you have to magnify this effect for it to be visible to the human eye? (The limit of human vision is about 1 arc-minute) What is the distance to this star in parsecs? What is the distance to this star in light years 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
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