Fascinating Insights into Stellar Distances and Parallax Measurements
Delve into the vast distances between stars, such as Alpha Centauri and Proxima Centauri, captured through intriguing images. Explore the concept of parallax and its role in estimating stellar distances relative to our Sun. Understand the challenges astronomers face in measuring these immense distances and consider the impact of establishing a colony on Mars on such astronomical calculations.
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Presentation Transcript
How far away are the stars? FAR away!
Nearest star system: Alpha Centauri Distance: 4.23 light-years Recall: 1 light-year = 9.5 trillion km But how do we know that?!?
BUT: only works out to about 300 light-years
images of Proxima Centauri taken from Earth and the New Horizons probe (April 2020) Proxima Centauri is 4.24 light years away New Horizons is currently over 6 billion km away
Questions Consider the diagram below. Write a simple equation that relates the distance to a star with an observed parallax of p to our Sun in terms of astronomical units (the distance between the Earth and Sun). Remember your trigonometry! Imagine a group of astronomers established a colony on Mars. Compared to scientists back on Earth, would they be more, less, or equally successfully at estimating stellar distances? Briefly explain your rationale.
