The Essential Cosmic Perspective (7th Edition) - Standalone book
7th Edition
ISBN: 9780321928085
Author: Jeffrey O Bennett, Megan O. Donahue, Nicholas Schneider, Mark Voit
Publisher: PEARSON
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Chapter 2, Problem 4VSC
The diagram exaggerates the sizes of Earth and the Sun relative to the orbit. If Earth were correctly scaled relative to the orbit in the figure, how big would it be?
a. about half the size shown
b. about 2 millimeters across
c. about 0.1 millimeter across
d. microscopic
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BACKGROUND
An ingenious solution to the Earth's circumference occured in 230 BC. Eratosthenes, a Greek
geographer, mathematician, music theorist, poet, astronomer, and philosopher, was reading in the
Library of Alexandria when he noticed an account for a deep well near Syene (now Aswan),
some distance to the south (800 km) in which at high noon on the longest day of the year the
bottom of the well was fully illuminated by the Sun. Eratosthenes exclaimed "Ah-ah!" (or
something like that), "I can solve for the circumference of the Earth!". In his mind's eye,
Eratosthenes could see that at Syene, at the moment when the bottom of the well was fully lit, the
Sun must have been at the Zenith (directly overhead). Yet he knew that at the same moment in
Alexandria vertical objects (like a tower, pole) cast shadows.
Here is the experiment perfomed by Eratosthenes (see the picture below).
• He erected a vertical pole at Alexandria (A) and measured the angle of its shadow at the
moment when the…
1. What is an astronomical unit (AU)? How many meters is one AU?
2. How many seconds are in one year?
3. Are the planets accelerating as they orbit the Sun? If so, what force is acting on them to cause the acceleration? Be specific.
The distance light travels in one second(one light-second) is about 1.86×10⁵ mi. Saturn is about 475 light-seconds from the sun. About how many miles from the sun is Saturn?
Chapter 2 Solutions
The Essential Cosmic Perspective (7th Edition) - Standalone book
Ch. 2 - Prob. 1VSCCh. 2 - Which of the four labeled points represents the...Ch. 2 - Which of the four labeled points represents the...Ch. 2 - The diagram exaggerates the sizes of Earth and the...Ch. 2 - Given that Earths actual distance from the Sun...Ch. 2 - As viewed from Earth, in which zodiac...Ch. 2 - If the date is April 21, what zodiac constellation...Ch. 2 - If the date is April 21, what zodiac constellation...Ch. 2 - Prob. 1EAPCh. 2 - Suppose you were making a model of the celestial...
Ch. 2 - On a clear, dark night, the sky may appear to be...Ch. 2 - Why does the local sky look like a dome? Define...Ch. 2 - Prob. 5EAPCh. 2 - What are circumpolar stars? Are more stars...Ch. 2 - What are latitude and longitude? Does the local...Ch. 2 - What is the zodiac, and why do we see different...Ch. 2 - Suppose Earth’s axis had no tilt. Would we still...Ch. 2 - Briefly describe key facts about the solstices and...Ch. 2 - What is precession? How does it affect our view of...Ch. 2 - Briefly describe the Moons cycle of phases. Can...Ch. 2 - Why do we always see the same face of the Moon?Ch. 2 - Why don’t we see an eclipse at every new and full...Ch. 2 - What do we mean by the apparent retrograde motion...Ch. 2 - Prob. 16EAPCh. 2 - Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is...Ch. 2 - Prob. 18EAPCh. 2 - Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is...Ch. 2 - Prob. 20EAPCh. 2 - Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is...Ch. 2 - Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is...Ch. 2 - Prob. 23EAPCh. 2 - Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is...Ch. 2 - Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is...Ch. 2 - Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is...Ch. 2 - Two stars that are in the same constellation (a)...Ch. 2 - The north celestial pole is 35° above your...Ch. 2 - Beijing and Philadelphia have about the same...Ch. 2 - In winter, Earth’s axis points toward the star...Ch. 2 - When it is summer in Australia, the season in the...Ch. 2 - If the Sun rises precisely due east. (a) you must...Ch. 2 - A week after full moon, the Moon’s phase is (a)...Ch. 2 - The fact that we always see the same face of the...Ch. 2 - If there is going to be a total lunar eclipse...Ch. 2 - When we see Saturn going through a period of...Ch. 2 - Prob. 37EAPCh. 2 - Prob. 38EAPCh. 2 - 39. Lunar Phases and Time of Day. Roles: Scribe...Ch. 2 - Prob. 40EAPCh. 2 - Your View of the Sky. a. What are your latitude...Ch. 2 - View from the Moon. Suppose you lived on the Moon,...Ch. 2 - View from the Sun. Suppose you lived on the Sun...Ch. 2 - Farther Moon. Suppose the distance to the Moon...Ch. 2 - Smaller Earth. Suppose Earth were smaller. Would...Ch. 2 - Prob. 46EAPCh. 2 - Prob. 47EAPCh. 2 - Find the Sun’s Diameter. The Sun has an angular...Ch. 2 - Prob. 49EAPCh. 2 - Prob. 50EAPCh. 2 - Prob. 51EAPCh. 2 - Flat Earth Society. Believe it or not, there is an...Ch. 2 - Prob. 53EAPCh. 2 - Prob. 54EAPCh. 2 - Prob. 55EAP
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