Question A1 a) The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a galaxy in the vicinity of the Milky Way. It is at a distance of 50 kpc, and has a size across of 9.86 kpc. Consider a star similar to Vega (absolute magnitude M = 0.58) which is at the edge of the LMC as seen on the sky. What is its apparent magnitude? Show your calculation. b) A second similar star is observed near the centre of the LMC as seen on the sky with an observed apparent magnitude of m = 20.3. Is this consistent with the star being a member of the LMC? Explain your reasoning. c) An observational study has derived a map of the extinction Ay across the LMC, and shown that its average value is 0.38, with a standard deviation of 0.57. For the star discussed in part (b), if extinction is taken into account, does your conclusion about the star's membership of the LMC change? Explain your reasoning. You may assume that the star may suffer the full (positive) range of extinction found in the study of the LMC. d) Which other observational factor might make observations of individual stars in the LMC difficult?
Question A1 a) The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a galaxy in the vicinity of the Milky Way. It is at a distance of 50 kpc, and has a size across of 9.86 kpc. Consider a star similar to Vega (absolute magnitude M = 0.58) which is at the edge of the LMC as seen on the sky. What is its apparent magnitude? Show your calculation. b) A second similar star is observed near the centre of the LMC as seen on the sky with an observed apparent magnitude of m = 20.3. Is this consistent with the star being a member of the LMC? Explain your reasoning. c) An observational study has derived a map of the extinction Ay across the LMC, and shown that its average value is 0.38, with a standard deviation of 0.57. For the star discussed in part (b), if extinction is taken into account, does your conclusion about the star's membership of the LMC change? Explain your reasoning. You may assume that the star may suffer the full (positive) range of extinction found in the study of the LMC. d) Which other observational factor might make observations of individual stars in the LMC difficult?
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Transcribed Image Text:Question A1
a)
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a galaxy in the vicinity of the Milky Way. It is at a
distance of 50 kpc, and has a size across of 9.86 kpc.
Consider a star similar to Vega (absolute magnitude M = 0.58) which is at the edge of the
LMC as seen on the sky. What is its apparent magnitude? Show your calculation.
b) A second similar star is observed near the centre of the LMC as seen on the sky with an
observed apparent magnitude of m = 20.3. Is this consistent with the star being a member
of the LMC? Explain your reasoning.
c) An observational study has derived a map of the extinction Ay across the LMC, and shown
that its average value is 0.38, with a standard deviation of 0.57.
For the star discussed in part (b), if extinction is taken into account, does your conclusion
about the star's membership of the LMC change? Explain your reasoning. You may assume
that the star may suffer the full (positive) range of extinction found in the study of the LMC.
d) Which other observational factor might make observations of individual stars in the LMC
difficult?
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