Action item 1: a) The red giant star Betelgeuse is 640 light years distance. Wha

Question

Action item 1:

a) The red giant star Betelgeuse is 640 light years distance. What is its parallax in arc seconds and then in degrees? Hint: 1 pc = 3.261 light years.

b) A pivotal battle between the United Federation of Planets and the Borg Collective was fought around the star Wolf 359. This particular star has a parallax of 0.419 arc seconds. How long would it take a radio message to travel from a Federation ship to the Earth? Show all your calculations.

c) A particular photographic survey can measure the positions of stars to an accuracy of 10-3 arc seconds. Out to what distance from the Sun (in parsecs) can the survey data be used to measure stellar parallaxes? Explain your reasoning and show all calculations.

Explanation / Answer

Ans:

By steller Parallax

D = 1 / P

D = distance in the parsecs

P = angle in the arcseconds (parallax)

red giant star Betelguese = 640 light years

we know that 1parsecs(pc) = 3.261 light years

640 light years = 640 / 3.261 = 196.259 pc

D = 196.259 pc

P= 1 / 196.259 = 5.0953 x 10-3 arcseconds

P =  5.0953 x 10-3 arcsconds / (60 x60) = 1.4154 x 10-6 degrees

For fight betwen United Federation of Planets and the Borg Collective was fought around the star Wolf 359

given

P = 0.419 arcseconds

D = 1 / 0.419arcseconds = 2.3867 pc

1pc (parsecs) = 3.261 light years

D = 2.3867 x 3.261 = 7.782816 light years

Radio waves travels at speed of light so will take 7 years-9 months -11 days -19hours-31minutes- 56seconds (7.782816 years) to transmit the message

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