1st Edition

ISBN: 9781938168284

Author: Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff

Publisher: OpenStax

Concept explainers

We may see thousands of stars in the dark sky. Our universe consists of billions of stars. Stars may appear tiny to us but they are huge balls of gasses. Sun is a star of average size. Some stars are even a thousand times larger than the sun. The stars d…

Red Shift

It is an astronomical phenomenon. In this phenomenon, increase in wavelength with corresponding decrease in photon energy and frequency of radiation of light. It is the displacement of spectrum of any kind of astronomical object to the longer wavelengths…

Textbook Question

Chapter 20, Problem 21E

One 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.

Expert Solution & Answer

Want to see the full answer?

Check out a sample textbook solution

See solution

Chapter 20, Problem 20E

Chapter 20, Problem 22E

Students have asked these similar questions

You observe a star orbiting in the outer parts of a galaxy. The distance to this galaxy is known, and you are able to take a spectra of this star and determine its velocity. The star is 22 kpc from the galaxy center and moving in a circular orbit with speed 304 km/s. Compute the total mass of the galaxy internal to the star's orbit. You will get a large number; express it in scientific notation and in units of solar masses [e.g., 4.2e10]. [Hint: there is a Box in Chapter 22 of your textbook that will be of help. See also the course formula sheet.]

Chapter 20 Solutions

Astronomy

Ch. 20 - Identify several dark nebulae in photographs in...Ch. 20 - Why do nebulae near hot stars look red? Why do...Ch. 20 - Describe the characteristics of the various kinds...Ch. 20 - Prepare a table listing the different ways in...Ch. 20 - Describe how the 21-cm line of hydrogen is formed....Ch. 20 - Describe the properties of the dust grains found...Ch. 20 - Why is it difficult to determine where cosmic rays...Ch. 20 - What causes reddening of starlight? Explain how...Ch. 20 - Why do molecules, including H2 and more complex...Ch. 20 - Why can’t we use visible light telescopes to study...

Ch. 20 - The mass of the interstellar medium is determined...Ch. 20 - Where does interstellar dust come from? How does...Ch. 20 - Figure 20.2 shows a reddish glow around the star...Ch. 20 - If the red glow around Antares is indeed produced...Ch. 20 - Even though neutral hydrogen is the most abundant...Ch. 20 - The terms H II and H2 are both pronounced “H two.”...Ch. 20 - Suppose someone told you that she had discovered H...Ch. 20 - Describe the spectrum of each of the following: A....Ch. 20 - According to the text, a star must be hotter than...Ch. 20 - From the comments in the text about which kinds of...Ch. 20 - One way to calculate the size and shape of the...Ch. 20 - New stars form in regions where the density of gas...Ch. 20 - Thinking about the topics in this chapter, here is...Ch. 20 - Stars form in the Milky Way at a rate of about 1...Ch. 20 - The 21-cm line can be used not just to find out...Ch. 20 - Astronomers recently detected light emitted by a...Ch. 20 - We can detect 21-cm emission from other galaxies...Ch. 20 - We have said repeatedly that blue light undergoes...Ch. 20 - Suppose that, instead of being inside the Local...Ch. 20 - Suppose that, instead of being inside the Local...Ch. 20 - A molecular cloud is about 1000 times denser than...Ch. 20 - Would you expect to be able to detect an H II...Ch. 20 - Suppose that you gathered a ball of interstellar...Ch. 20 - At the average density of the interstellar medium,...Ch. 20 - Consider a grain of sand that contains 1 mg of...Ch. 20 - H II regions can exist only if there is a nearby...Ch. 20 - In the text, we said that the five-times ionized...Ch. 20 - Dust was originally discovered because the stars...Ch. 20 - How would the density inside a cold cloud (T=10K)...Ch. 20 - The text says that the Local Fluff, which...

Additional Science Textbook Solutions

Find more solutions based on key concepts

25. For the combination of two lenses shown in Figure P19.25, find the position, size, and orientation of the f...

College Physics: A Strategic Approach (4th Edition)

The electric potential in a region is given by V = V0(r/R), where V0 and R are constants and r is the radial di...

Essential University Physics (3rd Edition)

Explain all answers clearly, with complete sentences and proper essay structure if needed. An asterisk (*) desi...

The Cosmic Perspective Fundamentals (2nd Edition)

6. A steady current of 1.5 A flows through the solenoid shown in Figure 21.39. The current induced in the loop,...

College Physics (10th Edition)

Compare the brightness of the bulbs in this circuit. 1. What can you conclude from your observation about the a...

Tutorials in Introductory Physics

The water molecules dipole moment is 6.2 1030Cm. What would be the separation distance if the molecule consiste...

Essential University Physics: Volume 2 (3rd Edition)

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.