An Introduction to Physical Science
14th Edition
ISBN: 9781305079137
Author: James Shipman, Jerry D. Wilson, Charles A. Higgins, Omar Torres
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Chapter 18.1, Problem 2PQ
To determine
Simplest way to measure the distance to a nearby star.
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The nearest star to our sun is Proxima Centauri, at a distance of 4.3 light-years from the Sun. A light-year is the distance that light travels in one year (365 days). How far away, in kilometers, is Proxima Centauri from the Sun?Express your answer using two significant figures.
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Chapter 18 Solutions
An Introduction to Physical Science
Ch. 18.1 - How is the position of a star designated in the...Ch. 18.1 - Prob. 2PQCh. 18.1 - Prob. 18.1CECh. 18.2 - Prob. 1PQCh. 18.2 - Prob. 2PQCh. 18.3 - Prob. 1PQCh. 18.3 - Prob. 2PQCh. 18.4 - Prob. 1PQCh. 18.4 - Prob. 2PQCh. 18.5 - Prob. 1PQ
Ch. 18.5 - Prob. 2PQCh. 18.6 - Prob. 1PQCh. 18.6 - Prob. 2PQCh. 18.7 - Prob. 1PQCh. 18.7 - Prob. 2PQCh. 18.7 - Prob. 18.2CECh. 18 - Prob. AMCh. 18 - Prob. BMCh. 18 - Prob. CMCh. 18 - Prob. DMCh. 18 - Prob. EMCh. 18 - Prob. FMCh. 18 - Prob. GMCh. 18 - Prob. HMCh. 18 - Prob. IMCh. 18 - Prob. JMCh. 18 - Prob. KMCh. 18 - Prob. LMCh. 18 - Prob. MMCh. 18 - Prob. NMCh. 18 - Prob. OMCh. 18 - Prob. PMCh. 18 - Prob. QMCh. 18 - Prob. RMCh. 18 - Prob. SMCh. 18 - Prob. TMCh. 18 - Prob. UMCh. 18 - Prob. VMCh. 18 - Prob. WMCh. 18 - Prob. XMCh. 18 - Prob. YMCh. 18 - Prob. ZMCh. 18 - Prob. AAMCh. 18 - What is the point on the celestial sphere...Ch. 18 - Prob. 2MCCh. 18 - Prob. 3MCCh. 18 - Prob. 4MCCh. 18 - Prob. 5MCCh. 18 - Prob. 6MCCh. 18 - Prob. 7MCCh. 18 - What force keeps the all stars from flying apart?...Ch. 18 - Prob. 9MCCh. 18 - Prob. 10MCCh. 18 - Prob. 11MCCh. 18 - Prob. 12MCCh. 18 - Prob. 13MCCh. 18 - Prob. 14MCCh. 18 - Prob. 15MCCh. 18 - Prob. 16MCCh. 18 - Prob. 17MCCh. 18 - Prob. 18MCCh. 18 - Prob. 19MCCh. 18 - Prob. 20MCCh. 18 - The apparent change of the position of a star due...Ch. 18 - Prob. 2FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 3FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 4FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 5FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 6FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 7FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 8FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 9FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 10FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 11FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 12FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 13FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 14FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 15FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 16FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 17FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 18FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 19FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 20FIBCh. 18 - Prob. 1SACh. 18 - Prob. 2SACh. 18 - Prob. 3SACh. 18 - What is the vernal equinox, and what does it have...Ch. 18 - Prob. 5SACh. 18 - Prob. 6SACh. 18 - Prob. 7SACh. 18 - Prob. 8SACh. 18 - Prob. 9SACh. 18 - Prob. 10SACh. 18 - Prob. 11SACh. 18 - Prob. 12SACh. 18 - Prob. 13SACh. 18 - Prob. 14SACh. 18 - Prob. 15SACh. 18 - Prob. 16SACh. 18 - Prob. 17SACh. 18 - Prob. 18SACh. 18 - Prob. 19SACh. 18 - Prob. 20SACh. 18 - Prob. 21SACh. 18 - Prob. 22SACh. 18 - Prob. 23SACh. 18 - Prob. 24SACh. 18 - Prob. 25SACh. 18 - Prob. 26SACh. 18 - Prob. 27SACh. 18 - Prob. 28SACh. 18 - Prob. 29SACh. 18 - Prob. 30SACh. 18 - Prob. 31SACh. 18 - Prob. 32SACh. 18 - Prob. 33SACh. 18 - Prob. 34SACh. 18 - Prob. 35SACh. 18 - Prob. 36SACh. 18 - Prob. 37SACh. 18 - Prob. 38SACh. 18 - Prob. 39SACh. 18 - State three experimental findings that support the...Ch. 18 - Prob. 41SACh. 18 - Prob. 42SACh. 18 - Prob. 1VCCh. 18 - Prob. 1AYKCh. 18 - Prob. 2AYKCh. 18 - Prob. 3AYKCh. 18 - If you went outside on a clear night to locate...Ch. 18 - Prob. 5AYKCh. 18 - Prob. 6AYKCh. 18 - What major factor determines the future of the...Ch. 18 - Find the distance in parsecs to the star Altair,...Ch. 18 - The bright star Sirius has a parallax angle of...Ch. 18 - Calculate the number of seconds in a year (365...Ch. 18 - Prob. 4ECh. 18 - Prob. 5ECh. 18 - Prob. 6ECh. 18 - Prob. 7ECh. 18 - Prob. 8ECh. 18 - Prob. 9ECh. 18 - Prob. 10ECh. 18 - Prob. 11ECh. 18 - If Hubbles constant had a value of 75 km/s/Mpc,...
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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
- A particular star is 4.5 × 1014 km away from Earth. What is this distance in light-years (ly)?arrow_forwardI need the answer as soon as possiblearrow_forwardEarth is about 150 million kilometers from the Sun (1 Astronomical Unit, or AU), and the apparent brightness of the Sun in our sky is about 1300 watts/m2. Using these two facts and the inverse square law for light, determine the apparent brightness that we would measure for the Sun if we were located at the following positions. a) At the orbit of Jupiter (780 million km from the Sun).arrow_forward
- Earth is about 150 million kilometers from the Sun, and the apparent brightness of the Sun in our sky is about 1300 watts/m2. Determine the apparent brightness that we would measure for the Sun if we were located 12 times Earth's distance from the Sun.arrow_forwardA star spans a parallax angle θ = 2 arcsecond when seen on Earth (6 months spans 2θ). Its distance is _____ light years from us.arrow_forwardan object is a located at the following equatorial coordinates (J2000): 12h 27m 53.6s (right ascension), 12◦ 17' 36" (declination). An observatory is located at the geographical coordinates 37.23◦N and 2.55◦W.Is the object observable from the observatory?arrow_forward
- Which of the following is least reasonable regarding the magnitude scale: Group of answer choices The numerical difference between a star's absolute and apparent magnitudes is a measure of the distance to the star. If the Sun were moved to a distance of 10 parsecs, its apparent magnitude would be about 4.8 and it would therefore not be visible to the naked eye. The fact that Sun's absolute magnitude of 4.8 is greater than the Sun's apparent magnitude of -27 implies that the Sun is a lot closer than 10 parsecs. Apparent magnitude measures a star's apparent brightness when viewed at the star's actual distance from the observer. A star's absolute magnitude is its apparent magnitude when viewed from a distance of 10 parsecs.arrow_forwardA star has a parallax of 0.8 seconds of arc. What is the distance of the star?arrow_forwardWhich method would you use to obtain the distance to each of the following? A. An asteroid crossing Earth’s orbit B. A star astronomers believe to be no more than 50 light-years from the Sun C. A tight group of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy that includes a significant number of variable stars D. A star that is not variable but for which you can obtain a clearly defined spectrumarrow_forward
- Describe two ways of determining the diameter of a star.arrow_forwardExplain the origin of the magnitude designation for determining the brightness of stars. Why does it seem to go backward, with smaller numbers indicating brighter stars?arrow_forwardOne method to measure the diameter of a star is to use an object like the Moon or a planet to block out its light and to measure the time it takes to cover up the object. Why is this method used more often with the Moon rather than the planets, even though there are more planets?arrow_forward
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