Astronomy
1st Edition
ISBN: 9781938168284
Author: Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher: OpenStax
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Textbook Question
Chapter 26, Problem 3E
Explain what the mass-to-light ratio is and why it is smaller in spiral galaxies with regions of star formation than in elliptical galaxies.
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Chapter 26 Solutions
Astronomy
Ch. 26 - Describe the main distinguishing features of...Ch. 26 - Why did it take so long for the existence of other...Ch. 26 - Explain what the mass-to-light ratio is and why it...Ch. 26 - If we now realize dwarf ellipticals are the most...Ch. 26 - What are the two best ways to measure the distance...Ch. 26 - What are the two best ways to measure the distance...Ch. 26 - Why is Hubble’s law considered one of the most...Ch. 26 - What does it mean to say that the universe is...Ch. 26 - Was Hubble’s original estimate of the distance to...Ch. 26 - Does an elliptical galaxy rotate like a spiral...
Ch. 26 - Why does the disk of a spiral galaxy appear dark...Ch. 26 - What causes the largest mass-to-light ratio: gas...Ch. 26 - What is the most useful standard bulb method for...Ch. 26 - When comparing two isolated spiral galaxies that...Ch. 26 - If all distant galaxies are expanding away from...Ch. 26 - Is the Hubble constant actually constant?Ch. 26 - Where might the gas and dust (if any) in an...Ch. 26 - Why can we not determine distances to galaxies by...Ch. 26 - Which is redder-a spiral galaxy or an elliptical...Ch. 26 - Suppose the stars in an elliptical galaxy all...Ch. 26 - Starting with the determination of the size of...Ch. 26 - Suppose the Milky Way Galaxy were truly isolated...Ch. 26 - Suppose you were Hubble and Humason, working on...Ch. 26 - What does it mean if one elliptical galaxy has...Ch. 26 - Based on your analysis of galaxies in Table 26.1,...Ch. 26 - Can a higher mass-to-light ratio mean that there...Ch. 26 - According to Hubble’s law, what is the recessional...Ch. 26 - A cluster of galaxies is observed to have a...Ch. 26 - Suppose we could measure the distance to a galaxy...Ch. 26 - Calculate the mass-to-light ratio for a globular...Ch. 26 - Calculate the mass-to-light ratio for a luminous...
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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
- Astronomers have been making maps by observing a slice of the universe and seeing where the galaxies lie within that slice. If the universe is isotropic and homogeneous, why do they need more than one slice? Suppose they now want to make each slice extend farther into the universe. What do they need to do?arrow_forwardWhat is the most useful standard bulb method for determining distances to galaxies?arrow_forwardHow are distant (young) galaxies different from the galaxies that we see in the universe today?arrow_forward
- When astronomers make maps of the structure of the universe on the largest scales, how do they find the superclusters of galaxies to be arranged?arrow_forwardCan an elliptical galaxy evolve into a spiral? Explain your answer. Can a spiral turn into an elliptical? How?arrow_forwardWhat are the two best ways to measure the distance to a distant, isolated spiral galaxy, and how would it be measured?arrow_forward
- Describe the main distinguishing features of spiral, elliptical, and irregular galaxies.arrow_forwardWhy do astronomers believe that quasars represent an early stage in the evolution of galaxies?arrow_forwardUsing the information from Example 28.1, how much fainter an object will you have to be able to measure in order to include the same kinds of galaxies in your second survey? Remember that the brightness of an object varies as the inverse square of the distance.arrow_forward
- When comparing two isolated spiral galaxies that have the same apparent brightness, but rotate at different rates, what can you say about their relative luminosity?arrow_forwardIn what ways are active galaxies like quasars but different from normal galaxies?arrow_forwardGiven that only about 5% of the galaxies visible in the Hubble Deep Field are bright enough for astronomers to study spectroscopically, they need to make the most of the other 95%. One technique is to use their colors and apparent brightnesses to try to roughly estimate their redshift. How do you think the inaccuracy of this redshift estimation technique (compared to actually measuring the redshift from a spectrum) might affect our ability to make maps of large-scale structures such as the filaments and voids shown in Figure 28.21? Figure 28.21 Sloan Digital Sky Survey Map of the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe. This image shows slices from the SDSS map. The point at the center corresponds to the Milky Way and might say “You Are Here!” Points on the map moving outward from the center are farther away. The distance to the galaxies is indicated by their redshifts (following Hubble’s law), shown on the horizontal line going right from the center. The redshift z=/ , where is the difference between the observed wavelength and the wavelength emitted by a nonmoving source in the laboratory. Hour angle on the sky is shown around the circumference of the circular graph. The colors of the galaxies indicate the ages of their stars, with the redder color showing galaxies that are made of older stars. The outer circle is at a distance of two billion light-years from us. Note that red (older stars) galaxies are more strongly clustered than blue galaxies (young stars). The unmapped areas are where our view of the universe is obstructed by dust in our own Galaxy. (credit: modification of work by M. Blanton and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey)arrow_forward
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