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    Opt D1

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    Michael Leung
    This document contains 4 questions about astronomy terms and concepts. Q1 defines stars, galaxies, and planets, and distinguishes comets from planets and clusters from galaxies. Q2 orders units of distance and describes stellar parallax. Q3 calculates distances using parallax. Q4 determines the parallax angle of a star and if its distance can be measured using parallax.

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    Opt D1

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    Michael Leung
    35 views2 pages
    This document contains 4 questions about astronomy terms and concepts. Q1 defines stars, galaxies, and planets, and distinguishes comets from planets and clusters from galaxies. Q2 orders units of distance and describes stellar parallax. Q3 calculates distances using parallax. Q4 determines the parallax angle of a star and if its distance can be measured using parallax.

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    This document contains 4 questions about astronomy terms and concepts. Q1 defines stars, galaxies, and planets, and distinguishes comets from planets and clusters from galaxies. Q2 orders units of distance and describes stellar parallax. Q3 calculates distances using parallax. Q4 determines the parallax angle of a star and if its distance can be measured using parallax.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    35 views2 pages

    Opt D1

    Uploaded by

    Michael Leung
    This document contains 4 questions about astronomy terms and concepts. Q1 defines stars, galaxies, and planets, and distinguishes comets from planets and clusters from galaxies. Q2 orders units of distance and describes stellar parallax. Q3 calculates distances using parallax. Q4 determines the parallax angle of a star and if its distance can be measured using parallax.

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    Exercises

    Q1

    (a) Explain briefly what is meant by

    (i) a star

    (ii) a galaxy

    (iii) a planet

    (b) Distinguish between (i) a comet and a planet (ii) a cluster of stars and a galaxy.

    (c) Suggest why some teachers may like to use an inflated balloon as an analogy for
    a star.

    Q2

    (a) Large distances may be measured in light-ears, parsecs (pc) and astronomical
    units (AU)

    List these three units in ascending order of magnitude

    (b) A star has a parallax angle from Earth of 0.419 arc-seconds.

    (i) Describe how this parallax angle is measured

    (ii) Calculate the distance of this star from Earth in light years

    (iii) State why the terrestrial parallax method can only be used for stars less than a
    few hundred parsecs away.

    Q3

    (a) The centre of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is 6.9 × 10 5 pc from Earth. Calculate
    the distance, in light-years, at the centre of M31 that subtends an angle of 1.0 arc
    second at the surface of the Earth

    (b) In June 2004, the planet Venus could be seen crossing the disc of the Sun.
    Suggest why this observation leads to the conclusion that Venus was less than 1 AU
    from Earth.

    Q4

    The star Procyon is 11.4 ly from Earth. Determine the parallax angle to this star.
    Would it be possible to use the method of stellar parallax to determine its distance
    from Earth?
    Answers

    Q1

    (a) (i) large mass of gas (mainly H and He)


    giving off e.m. radiation
    held together by gravitational forces, or other good physics
    (ii) group of (many) stars
    any further detail e.g. some dimension, shape, etc
    (iii) rocky or gaseous object
    orbiting a star
    seen by reflected light

    (b) (i) Comets are much smaller with much longer periods and more elliptical paths than
    planets.

    (ii) Stellar clusters contain a smaller number of stars, which have a common origin.

    Galaxies contain stars, interstellar matter, dark matter and regions where new stars are
    being born.

    (c) Both are systems in equilibrium. Inward forces due to gravity are balanced by the gas
    and radiation pressure outwards.

    Q2

    (a) AU, ly, pc

    (b) (i) Take image of star in January and July and measure the distance star appears
    to have moved.

    (ii) 2.39 pc = 7.78 ly

    (iii) For larger distances, the parallax angle becomes small and the distortions
    introduced by the atmosphere produce large fractional errors in the result.

    Q3

    (a) 1 arc sec at 6.9 x 105 pc corresponds to 6.9 x 105 AU


    1 ly = 6.3 (±0.3) x 104 AU
    distance = 11 light-years
    (b) Venus must have passed between Sun and Earth
    1 AU is (mean) distance between Earth and Sun

    Q4

    3.50 pc, 1/3.50 = 0.286 arc-seconds, yes because 3.50 << 100 pc

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