Bundle: Foundations of Astronomy, Enhanced, Loose-Leaf Version, 13th + MindTap Astronomy, 2 terms (12 months) Printed Access Card
13th Edition
ISBN: 9781337214353
Author: Seeds, Michael A., Backman, Dana
Publisher: Cengage Learning
expand_more
expand_more
format_list_bulleted
Concept explainers
Question
Chapter 16, Problem 16RQ
To determine
The method used to find the distance to the nearby star.
Expert Solution & Answer
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solution
Students have asked these similar questions
Question A1
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 x 10-³ arcseconds. State the distance of Betelgeuse in units of parsecs and light
years.
Which 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.
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
Chapter 16 Solutions
Bundle: Foundations of Astronomy, Enhanced, Loose-Leaf Version, 13th + MindTap Astronomy, 2 terms (12 months) Printed Access Card
Ch. 16 - Prob. 1RQCh. 16 - Of the nearby galaxies, which is the most common...Ch. 16 - Prob. 3RQCh. 16 - My center is round, and I have no spiral arms...Ch. 16 - Prob. 5RQCh. 16 - Which are more common, barred or nonbarred spiral...Ch. 16 - Prob. 7RQCh. 16 - Prob. 8RQCh. 16 - Prob. 9RQCh. 16 - Prob. 10RQ
Ch. 16 - Prob. 11RQCh. 16 - Prob. 12RQCh. 16 - Prob. 13RQCh. 16 - Prob. 14RQCh. 16 - Prob. 15RQCh. 16 - Prob. 16RQCh. 16 - Prob. 17RQCh. 16 - Prob. 18RQCh. 16 - Prob. 19RQCh. 16 - Prob. 20RQCh. 16 - Prob. 21RQCh. 16 - What is the percentage range of galaxy diameters...Ch. 16 - What is the percentage range of galaxy masses...Ch. 16 - Prob. 24RQCh. 16 - Prob. 25RQCh. 16 - Prob. 26RQCh. 16 - Prob. 27RQCh. 16 - Prob. 28RQCh. 16 - Prob. 29RQCh. 16 - Prob. 30RQCh. 16 - Prob. 31RQCh. 16 - Prob. 32RQCh. 16 - Prob. 33RQCh. 16 - Prob. 34RQCh. 16 - Prob. 1DQCh. 16 - Prob. 2DQCh. 16 - Prob. 3DQCh. 16 - Prob. 4DQCh. 16 - Prob. 1PCh. 16 - Prob. 2PCh. 16 - Prob. 3PCh. 16 - Prob. 4PCh. 16 - Prob. 5PCh. 16 - Prob. 6PCh. 16 - Prob. 7PCh. 16 - Prob. 8PCh. 16 - Prob. 9PCh. 16 - Prob. 10PCh. 16 - Prob. 11PCh. 16 - Prob. 12PCh. 16 - Prob. 13PCh. 16 - Prob. 14PCh. 16 - Prob. 15PCh. 16 - Prob. 16PCh. 16 - Prob. 1LTLCh. 16 - Prob. 2LTLCh. 16 - Prob. 3LTLCh. 16 - Prob. 4LTLCh. 16 - Prob. 5LTLCh. 16 - Prob. 6LTL
Knowledge Booster
Learn more about
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
- Explain the origin of the magnitude designation for determining the brightness of stars. Why does it seem to go backward, with smaller numbers indicating brighter stars?arrow_forwardThe nearest star to our sun is Proxima Centauri, at a distance of 4.3 light-years from the Sun. A light-year is the distance that light travels in one year (365 days). How far away, in kilometers, is Proxima Centauri from the Sun?Express your answer using two significant figures.arrow_forwardHow do we calculate and solve for it ?arrow_forward
- The fictional city of Torontino radially has a population density of 1000e^(−0.01r^2)people per km^2, where r is the radius (in km) from QM tower. What is the total population living within 5 km of the QM tower? Show your steps.arrow_forwardExplain how the brightness of a star can be used to estimate its distance from Earth.arrow_forwardAs we discuss in class, the radius of the Earth is approximately 6370 km. Theradius of the Sun, on the other hand, is approximately 700,000 km. The Sun is located,on average, one astronomical unit (1 au) from the Earth. Imagine that you stand near Mansueto Library, at the corner of 57th and Ellis.Mansueto’s dome is 35 feet (10.7 meters) high. Let’s imagine we put a model of theSun inside the dome, such that it just fits — that is, the model Sun’s diameter is 35 feet The nearest star to the Solar System outside of the Sun is Proxima Centauri,which is approximately 4.2 light years away. Given the scale model outlined above,how far would a model Proxima Centauri be placed from you? Give your answer inmiles and kmarrow_forward
- 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-yearsarrow_forwarda method for determining the sizes of the orbits of pl from the sun than Earth. His method involved noting of days between the times that a planet was in the pc A and B in the diagram. Using this time and the num each planet's year, he calculated c and d. a. For Mars, c= 55.2 and d= 103.8. How far is Mars in astronomical units (AU)? One astronomical un the average distance from Earth to the center of th 93 million miles. b. For Jupiter, c 21.9 and d= 100.8. How far is Jup %3D sun in astronomical units? lo olpno er ort to rt .onte eteem-21 o to bre e ne ern 100 o ho aotem t elbl erl pnibioda lert pribiortarrow_forwardEarth is about 150 million kilometers from the Sun (1 Astronomical Unit, or AU), and the apparent brightness of the Sun in our sky is about 1300 watts/m^2. Using these two facts and the inverse square law for light, determine the apparent brightness that we would measure for the Sun if we were located at the following positions. b) At the orbit of Jupiter (780 million km from the Sun).arrow_forward
- Consider two stars with mV = 2.2 and mV = −1.5. What is their combined visual magnitude? Commenton whether your answer is plausible.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_forwardWrite the following measurements in scientific notation. All answers should be written up to hundredths place. Follow the rules in rounding off numbers. Quantity Measurement Scientific notation 1. diameter of the sun 1391400 km 2. Speed of light 2997792458 m/s 3. distance of the earth from the sun 149597870700 m 4. size of bacteria 0.0005 m 5. diameter of proton 0.000 000 000 001 mmarrow_forward
arrow_back_ios
SEE MORE QUESTIONS
arrow_forward_ios
Recommended textbooks for you
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399944Author:Michael A. SeedsPublisher:Cengage Learning
An Introduction to Physical SciencePhysicsISBN:9781305079137Author:James Shipman, Jerry D. Wilson, Charles A. Higgins, Omar TorresPublisher:Cengage Learning
AstronomyPhysicsISBN:9781938168284Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. WolffPublisher:OpenStax
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399920Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage Learning
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399944
Author:Michael A. Seeds
Publisher:Cengage Learning
An Introduction to Physical Science
Physics
ISBN:9781305079137
Author:James Shipman, Jerry D. Wilson, Charles A. Higgins, Omar Torres
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Astronomy
Physics
ISBN:9781938168284
Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher:OpenStax
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399920
Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher:Cengage Learning