ASTR 1200-001 Homework Set 2 (20 Points)
Assigned on Thursday September 2, 2021
Due Thursday September 9, 2021, at 2:20pm
Show your work! Write full sentences explaining each step of your solution. Use the
methods covered during class.
Question 1 – Angles (10 Points):
Estimate the angular size of the Sun in the sky.
The diameter of Sun is 1,400,000 km
The distance from the Earth to the Sun is 150,000,000 km
.53°
I got .53° by using arctan formula of arctan(h/D) and I plugged it in as
arctan(1400000/150000000) = .53°
Question 2 – Latitude – Polaris (10 Points):
Estimate the elevation (the angle between the star and the horizon) of Polaris in Mexico
City, Mexico and Oslo, Norway.
Latitude of Mexico City: 20 Degrees North
Latitude of Oslo: 60 Degrees North
Polaris forms a 90° angle from the equator so the angle between the star and the horizon will be
the same latitude the observer is at. So Mexico City would be 20° and Oslo would be 60°.
