21st Century Astronomy
6th Edition
ISBN: 9780393428063
Author: Kay
Publisher: NORTON
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Question
Chapter 19, Problem 1QP
To determine
Among the following which one contributes largest percentage to the total mass of a spiral galaxy.
Expert Solution & Answer
Answer to Problem 1QP
Option (a).
Explanation of Solution
Spiral galaxy is a type of galaxy that is characterized by spiral arms, and these spiral arms lie in flattened and rotating disk. The stars in flat disk orbit the centre of the galaxy in the same direction.
Dark matter contributes largest percentage to the total mass of a spiral galaxy. It contributes upto
The dark matter interacts with the light very weakly, and the nature of the dark matter is yet to be known.
Conclusion:
Since dark matter contributes
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Chapter 19 Solutions
21st Century Astronomy
Ch. 19.1 - Prob. 19.1ACYUCh. 19.1 - Prob. 19.1BCYUCh. 19.2 - Prob. 19.2CYUCh. 19.3 - Prob. 19.3CYUCh. 19.4 - Prob. 19.4CYUCh. 19 - Prob. 1QPCh. 19 - Prob. 2QPCh. 19 - Prob. 3QPCh. 19 - Prob. 4QPCh. 19 - Prob. 5QP
Ch. 19 - Prob. 6QPCh. 19 - Prob. 7QPCh. 19 - Prob. 8QPCh. 19 - Prob. 9QPCh. 19 - Prob. 10QPCh. 19 - Prob. 11QPCh. 19 - Prob. 12QPCh. 19 - Prob. 13QPCh. 19 - Prob. 14QPCh. 19 - Prob. 15QPCh. 19 - Prob. 16QPCh. 19 - Prob. 17QPCh. 19 - Prob. 18QPCh. 19 - Prob. 19QPCh. 19 - Prob. 20QPCh. 19 - Prob. 21QPCh. 19 - Prob. 22QPCh. 19 - Prob. 23QPCh. 19 - Prob. 24QPCh. 19 - Prob. 25QPCh. 19 - Prob. 26QPCh. 19 - Prob. 27QPCh. 19 - Prob. 28QPCh. 19 - Prob. 29QPCh. 19 - Prob. 30QPCh. 19 - Prob. 31QPCh. 19 - Prob. 32QPCh. 19 - Prob. 33QPCh. 19 - Prob. 34QPCh. 19 - Prob. 35QPCh. 19 - Prob. 36QPCh. 19 - Prob. 37QPCh. 19 - Prob. 38QPCh. 19 - Prob. 39QPCh. 19 - Prob. 40QPCh. 19 - Prob. 41QPCh. 19 - Prob. 42QPCh. 19 - Prob. 43QPCh. 19 - Prob. 44QPCh. 19 - 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
- Describe the evolution of an elliptical galaxy. How does the evolution of a spiral galaxy differ from that of an elliptical?arrow_forwardWhat are the two best ways to measure the distance to a nearby spiral galaxy, and how would it be measured?arrow_forwardBriefly describe the main parts of our Galaxy.arrow_forward
- Assume that the Sun orbits the center of the Galaxy at a speed of 220 km/s and a distance of 26,000 lightyears from the center. A. Calculate the circumference of the Sun’s orbit, assuming it to be approximately circular. (Remember that the circumference of a circle is given by 2pR, where R is the radius of the circle. Be sure to use consistent units. The conversion from light-years to km/s can be found in an online calculator or appendix, or you can calculate it for yourself: the speed of light is 300,000 km/s, and you can determine the number of seconds in a year.) B. Calculate the Sun’s period, the “galactic year.” Again, be careful with the units. Does it agree with the number we gave above?arrow_forwardThe first clue that the Galaxy contains a lot of dark matter was the observation that the orbital velocities of stars did not decreases with increasing distance from the center of the Galaxy. Construct a rotation curve for the solar system by using the orbital velocities of the planets, which can be found in Appendix F. How does this curve differ from the rotation curve for the Galaxy? What does it tell you about where most of the mass in the solar system is concentrated?arrow_forwardOne way to calculate the size and shape of the Galaxy is to estimate the distances to faint stars just from their observed apparent brightnesses and to note the distance at which stars are no longer observable. The first astronomers to try this experiment did not know that starlight is dimmed by interstellar dust. Their estimates of the size of the Galaxy were much too small. Explain why.arrow_forward
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