The distance to the binarystar system is calculated from its parallax , p, of 0.192"arc, which has been measured carefully over a period of the last 92 years. First we must calculate the distance to the binary system: D = 1/p where p is the parallax in seconds of arc giving D in parsecs. The distance, D = 1/p = ________ pc How many light years does this correspond to? (remember that 1 pc = 3.26 lt yr) D (in light years) =
Double stars are stars which are close enough and move slowly enough that they orbit each other. Each star is located at the focus of the ellipse of its orbit around the other star.
- Consider a binary star system which has an average angular separation of 6.1" arc and a period of 87.3 years. The annual parallax of the stars, p, is 0.192"arc.
We call the measure of the angular separation of the two stars, . [remember that 1 degree is divided into 60 'arc (read this as 60 minutes of arc) and each 1'arc is subdivided into 60"arc (read this as 60 seconds of arc)]. The distance to the binarystar system is calculated from its parallax , p, of 0.192"arc, which has been measured carefully over a period of the last 92 years. First we must calculate the distance to the binary system:
D = 1/p where p is the parallax in seconds of arc giving D in parsecs.
The distance, D = 1/p = ________ pc
How many light years does this correspond to? (remember that 1 pc = 3.26 lt yr) D (in light years) =
This angular measure of the semimajor axis of the orbit can be converted to a linear measure of the distance by multiplying the distance, d, to the binary
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