Physics, 01.10.2019 00:00 alexishenning

Every year, proxima centauri, the closest star to the sun, is observed to move 1.5 arcseconds with respect to the background stars for six months, followed by a return to its original position over the course of the next six months. how far away is proxima centauri? [diameter of earth's orbit = 2 au (astronomical units)]?

Answers: 3

Show answers

Answers

Answer from: angellll4455

How far away is Proxima Centauri?

Proxima Centauri is at a distance of $2.0394x10^{13} Km$ .

[diameter of Earth's orbit = 2 AU (astronomical units)]?

r = 1AU

Remembering than the diameter is defined as:

d = 2r

Where r is the radius.

So it is correct to say that the diameter of Earth's orbit = 2 AU (astronomical units).

Explanation:

How far away is Proxima Centauri?

The angle due to the change in position of a nearby object against the background stars it is known as parallax.

Hence, Proxima Centauri have a parallax of 1.5 arc seconds. This angle is gotten when its position is measured in January and then in July according with the configuration of the Earth with respect to the Sun in those months.

The parallax angle can be use to find out the distance to Proxima Centauri by means of triangulation. Making a triangle between Proxima Centauri, the Sun and the Earth (as is show in the image below), knowing that the distance between the earth and the Sun (150000000 Km) is define as 1 astronomical unit:

$\tan{p} = \frac{1AU}{d}$

Where d is the distance to the star.

$p('') = \frac{1}{d}$ (1)

Equation (1) can be rewritten in terms of d:

$d(pc) = \frac{1}{p('')}$ (2)

Equation (2) represents the distance in a unit known as parsec (pc), that is the distance of a star with a parallax angle of 1 arc second.

$d(pc) = \frac{1}{1.5}$

d(pc) = 0.66 pc

But $1pc = 3.09x10^{13} Km$ , therefore:

$0.66pc . \frac{3.09x10^{13} Km}{1pc}$ ⇒ $2.0394x10^{13} Km$

Or it can be expressed in light years, since 1pc = 3.26 light years :

$0.66pc . \frac{3.26 light years}{1pc}$ ⇒ 2.1516 light years

In which 1 light year corresponds to the distance traveled for light in one year.

So Proxima Centauri is at a distance of $2.0394x10^{13} Km$ .

[diameter of Earth's orbit = 2 AU (astronomical units)]?

As it was mentioned above, 1 astronomical unit is define as the distance between the Earth and the Sun. That distance will correspond with the radius of the orbit of Earth around the Sun.

r = 1AU

Remembering than the diameter is defined as:

d = 2r

Where r is the radius.

So it is correct to say that the diameter of Earth's orbit = 2 AU (astronomical units).

Every year, proxima centauri, the closest star to the sun, is observed to move 1.5 arcseconds with r

Answer from: Quest

explanation:

bc its just b

Answer from: Quest

cancer risk hope this

Another question on Physics

Physics, 22.06.2019 03:00

Which object is most likely represented by a dot?

Answers: 1

Answer

Physics, 22.06.2019 05:30

Could someone . i have tried to solve myself but my calculation is off

Answers: 3

Answer

Physics, 22.06.2019 08:50

The electronic structure or chlorine is 2.8.7 what is the electronic structure of fluorine?

Answers: 2

Answer

Physics, 22.06.2019 09:50

Which statement correctly describes the current in a circuit that is made up of any two resistors connected in parallel with a battery? a. the current in the battery and in each resistor is the same b. the current the battery equals to the sum of the currents in the resistors c.the current in the battery is less than the current in either resistor d. the current in the battery equals to the product of the currents in the resistors

Answers: 1

Answer

You know the right answer?

Every year, proxima centauri, the closest star to the sun, is observed to move 1.5 arcseconds with r...

Questions