LAB 05 - Stellar Parallax

Due Oct 11, 2021 at 11:59pm
Points 100
Questions 5
Available after Oct 5, 2021 at 12am
Time Limit None
Allowed Attempts Unlimited

Instructions

LAB 03 - Stellar Parallax

In this lab, you will calculate the distance to several stars using the parallax method. You will be given the parallax angle to several stars in the sky. To convert this number to parsecs, all you have to do is divide the provided angle into 1.

The parallax formula is as follows:

$LaTeX: distance\:=\frac{1}{parallax\:angle}$

For example, consider the star Proxima Centauri which has a parallax angle of 0.772.

To convert this to distance to parsecs you do the following: $1 \div 0.772 = 1.295$ .

Therefore, the star Proxima Centauri is 1.295 parsecs from our solar system.

You can learn more about the parallax method for determining the distances to nearby stars by watching the following video:

You will have a total of three attempts on this lab. Your highest grade will be recorded in the gradebook.

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