The Cosmic Distance Ladder

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "The Cosmic Distance Ladder"

Transcription

1 The Cosmic Distance Ladder (Mário Santos)

2 What is it? A way to calculate distances to objects very far away based on the measured distances to nearby objects: 1. Start with the distance to the Sun (1 AU) 2. Measure the distance to nearby stars in terms of the distance to the Sun 3. Calculate the distance to other galaxies using the measurements to nearby stars 4. Measure the size of the Universe!

3 Example: using parallax Change in apparent position of an object relative to background Knowing the angle of this change and the distance between the 2 viewpoints we can calculate the distance to the object It allows humans to see depth and perspective!

4 Measuring distances to nearby stars Measure apparent movement (angle) of nearby stars against the background of more distant stars But nearby stars are far away! Need large distances to observe the angle Cannot use 2 points on Earth - make observations as the Earth moves around the Sun (say July and January) parallax angle Small angle: So, for 1 : sin(p) = 1AU d d 1AU p [radians] distance to star AU p [arcsec] d AU 1 parsec [pc]

5 Measuring distances to nearby stars But need to know distance to the Sun (AU) Determine relative distance of planets to the Sun (e.g. Kepler) Measure distance of Earth to planets (e.g. parallax during transit of Venus) Modern values use direct radar measurements 1 AU = 149,597,870,700 metres

6 Distance to nearby stars: examples Ground based parallaxes up to ~ 0.01 out to 100 pc ~ 1000 stars First measurement: 61 Cygni ~ 3.5 pc (Friedrich Bessel ) Nearest star: Proxima Centauri ~ 1.31 pc Hipparcos satellite ~ up to 1000 pc ~ 100,000 stars GAIA (2013) ~ up to 50 Kpc ~ 1 billion stars

7 Note: Luminosity distances Indirect distance estimate: Measure the object s Flux (apparent brightness), F Assume the object s Luminosity (absolute brightness), L Apply inverse square law of brightness to determine distance, d L F = L 4 d 2 L =) d L = r L 4 F Assume Measure Need to know L beforehand! Use Standard Candles

8 Next step: spectroscopic parallax Measure the apparent brightness of a nearby star Determine distance using the parallax method Determine the Luminosity Analyse the spectrum of the star Construct the Hertzprung- Russell diagram: Luminosity (absolute brightness) versus spectral type (color)

9 Next step: spectroscopic parallax Use diagram to measure distances to stars farther away: From the spectra, determine the position of the star on the H-R diagram Read off the Luminosity (absolute brightness) From the measured apparent brightness determine the distance to the star Good up to ~ 100 Kpc

10 Going one step further in the ladder: Distance to other galaxies A certain class of stars (Cepheids) were observed to oscillate in brightness periodically Knowing the distance to these stars (using spectroscopic parallax) we can calculate its absolute brightness Found precise relationship between Luminosity and period! Get L and calculate d L! Measure period Henrietta Swan Leavitt, 1912

11 Cepheids Up to 100,000 times more luminous than the Sun Distance Limit: Megaparsecs (Hubble Space Telescope) Crucial for measuring distances to galaxies

12 Distance to galaxies farther away: Supernovae Type Ia supernovae are great standard candles Basically the same (constant Luminosity) Very bright ~ 100,000 times brighter than Cepheids -> can see to large distances! Most distant: SN 1997ff - distance ~ 5 Gpc!

13 Final step: the Universe Measure a galaxy doppler shift - z (fractional change in the wavelength of light) Radial speed of the galaxy: v=c z (c - speed of light) Measure distance to galaxies - d (using Cepheids) Hubble law: v=h d (Edwin Hubble) Galaxies are receding from us - the Universe is expanding! Current value: H 71 Km/s/Mpc (using the Hubble satellite with Cepheids) NASA

14 Final step: the Universe We can use Hubble s law to calculate distances to galaxies very far away: Measure redshift z - velocity d=cz/h (for large z need to include General Relativity effects) Radius of the visible Universe ~ 14 Gpc Comparison of the expected distance to a Galaxy from the redshift to the measured distance using supernovae Ia told us that the Universe is accelerating - dark energy! Hubble deep field, NASA

Learning Objectives. distances to objects in our Galaxy and to other galaxies? apparent magnitude key to measuring distances?

Learning Objectives. distances to objects in our Galaxy and to other galaxies? apparent magnitude key to measuring distances? The Distance Ladder Learning Objectives! What is the distance ladder? How do we measure distances to objects in our Galaxy and to other galaxies?! How are the concepts of absolute magnitude and apparent

More information

The Cosmological Distance Ladder. It's not perfect, but it works!

The Cosmological Distance Ladder. It's not perfect, but it works! The Cosmological Distance Ladder It's not perfect, but it works! First, we must know how big the Earth is. Next, we must determine the scale of the solar system. Copernicus (1543) correctly determined

More information

Hubble s Law. Tully-Fisher relation. The redshift. λ λ0. Are there other ways to estimate distances? Yes.

Hubble s Law. Tully-Fisher relation. The redshift. λ λ0. Are there other ways to estimate distances? Yes. Distances to galaxies Cepheids used by Hubble, 1924 to show that spiral nebulae like M31 were further from the Sun than any part of the Milky Way, therefore galaxies in their own right. Review of Cepheids

More information

Lecture 25: The Cosmic Distance Scale Sections 25-1, 26-4 and Box 26-1

Lecture 25: The Cosmic Distance Scale Sections 25-1, 26-4 and Box 26-1 Lecture 25: The Cosmic Distance Scale Sections 25-1, 26-4 and Box 26-1 Key Ideas The Distance Problem Geometric Distances Trigonometric Parallaxes Luminosity Distances Standard Candles Spectroscopic Parallaxes

More information

Chapter 11 Surveying the Stars

Chapter 11 Surveying the Stars Chapter 11 Surveying the Stars Luminosity Luminosity: Rate of energy emitted by star every second. Apparent brightness (flux): Amount of energy passing through every second per unit area. Luninosity =

More information

Stars: basic observations

Stars: basic observations Stars: basic observations Basic properties of stars we would like to know in order to compare theory against observations: Stellar mass M Stellar radius R Surface temperature - effective temperature T

More information

The Scale of the Universe

The Scale of the Universe The Scale of the Universe The Measurement of distance in our Univers! Chapters 12.1.1 Allday; Chapter 3 Silk Measurement of Distance in the Universe Two IMPORTANT concepts that you should know well from

More information

Cosmic Distance Determinations

Cosmic Distance Determinations Cosmic Distance Determinations Radar (works for inner solar system) Parallax D(pc) = 1 p(arcsec) GAIA satellite (2013) 20 micro-arcsec resolution! Thus D < 10 kpc Beyond Parallax: Standard Candles Use

More information

Lecture 32: The Expanding Universe Readings: Sections 26-5 and 28-2

Lecture 32: The Expanding Universe Readings: Sections 26-5 and 28-2 Lecture 32: The Expanding Universe Readings: Sections 26-5 and 28-2 Key Ideas Measuring the Distances to Galaxies and Determining the Scale of the Universe Distance Methods: Trigonometric Parallaxes Spectroscopic

More information

5. A particular star has an angle of parallax of 0.2 arcsecond. What is the distance to this star? A) 50 pc B) 2 pc C) 5 pc D) 0.

5. A particular star has an angle of parallax of 0.2 arcsecond. What is the distance to this star? A) 50 pc B) 2 pc C) 5 pc D) 0. Name: Date: 1. How far away is the nearest star beyond the Sun, in parsecs? A) between 1 and 2 pc B) about 12 pc C) about 4 pc D) between 1/2 and 1 pc 2. Parallax of a nearby star is used to estimate its

More information

Lecture 12: Distances to stars. Astronomy 111

Lecture 12: Distances to stars. Astronomy 111 Lecture 12: Distances to stars Astronomy 111 Why are distances important? Distances are necessary for estimating: Total energy released by an object (Luminosity) Masses of objects from orbital motions

More information

The Extragalactic Distance Scale

The Extragalactic Distance Scale One of the important relations in Astronomy. It lets us Measure the distance to distance objects. Each rung on the ladder is calibrated using lower-rung calibrations. Distance Objects Technique 1-100 AU

More information

The Extragalactic Distance Scale

The Extragalactic Distance Scale One of the important relations in Astronomy. It lets us Measure the distance to distance objects. Each rung on the ladder is calibrated using lower-rung calibrations. Distance Objects Technique 1-100 AU

More information

Measuring Distances. Taking the Measure of the Universe

Measuring Distances. Taking the Measure of the Universe Measuring Distances Taking the Measure of the Universe The Importance of Distance We talked about how the brightness of a star can be due to 2 effects: distance or luminosity. Without a direct measurement

More information

Chapter 10 Measuring the Stars

Chapter 10 Measuring the Stars Chapter 10 Measuring the Stars Some of the topics included in this chapter Stellar parallax Distance to the stars Stellar motion Luminosity and apparent brightness of stars The magnitude scale Stellar

More information

Addition to the Lecture on Galactic Evolution

Addition to the Lecture on Galactic Evolution Addition to the Lecture on Galactic Evolution Rapid Encounters In case the encounter of two galaxies is quite fast, there will be not much dynamical friction due to lack of the density enhancement The

More information

Set 5: Expansion of the Universe

Set 5: Expansion of the Universe Set 5: Expansion of the Universe Cosmology Study of the origin, contents and evolution of the universe as a whole Expansion rate and history Space-time geometry Energy density composition Origin of structure

More information

The Cosmic Distance Ladder. Hubble s Law and the Expansion of the Universe!

The Cosmic Distance Ladder. Hubble s Law and the Expansion of the Universe! The Cosmic Distance Ladder Hubble s Law and the Expansion of the Universe! Last time: looked at Cepheid Variable stars as standard candles. Massive, off-main sequence stars: at a certain stage between

More information

Set 1: Expansion of the Universe

Set 1: Expansion of the Universe Set 1: Expansion of the Universe Syllabus Course text book: Ryden, Introduction to Cosmology, 2nd edition Olber s paradox, expansion of the universe: Ch 2 Cosmic geometry, expansion rate, acceleration:

More information

Parallax: Measuring the distance to Stars

Parallax: Measuring the distance to Stars Measuring the Stars Parallax: Measuring the distance to Stars Use Earth s orbit as baseline Parallactic angle = 1/2 angular shift Distance from the Sun required for a star to have a parallactic angle of

More information

Stellar distances and velocities. ASTR320 Wednesday January 24, 2018

Stellar distances and velocities. ASTR320 Wednesday January 24, 2018 Stellar distances and velocities ASTR320 Wednesday January 24, 2018 Special public talk this week: Mike Brown, Pluto Killer Wednesday at 7:30pm in MPHY204 Why are stellar distances important? Distances

More information

Chapter 8: The Family of Stars

Chapter 8: The Family of Stars Chapter 8: The Family of Stars Motivation We already know how to determine a star s surface temperature chemical composition surface density In this chapter, we will learn how we can determine its distance

More information

Galaxies. Galaxy Diversity. Galaxies, AGN and Quasars. Physics 113 Goderya

Galaxies. Galaxy Diversity. Galaxies, AGN and Quasars. Physics 113 Goderya Galaxies, AGN and Quasars Physics 113 Goderya Chapter(s): 16 and 17 Learning Outcomes: Galaxies Star systems like our Milky Way Contain a few thousand to tens of billions of stars. Large variety of shapes

More information

Techniques for measuring astronomical distances generally come in two variates, absolute and relative.

Techniques for measuring astronomical distances generally come in two variates, absolute and relative. Chapter 6 Distances 6.1 Preliminaries Techniques for measuring astronomical distances generally come in two variates, absolute and relative. Absolute distance measurements involve objects possibly unique

More information

Galaxies and the expansion of the Universe

Galaxies and the expansion of the Universe Review of Chapters 14, 15, 16 Galaxies and the expansion of the Universe 5/4/2009 Habbal Astro 110-01 Review Lecture 36 1 Recap: Learning from Light How does light tell us what things are made of? Every

More information

V. M. Slipher ( ) was an astronomer who worked at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. In 1909 he began studying the spectrum of the

V. M. Slipher ( ) was an astronomer who worked at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. In 1909 he began studying the spectrum of the Hubble s Law V. M. Slipher (1875-1969) was an astronomer who worked at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. In 1909 he began studying the spectrum of the Andromeda Nebula. He found that that object

More information

Outline. Go over AGN problem, again, should be rotating BH Go over problem 6.6 Olber's paradox Distances Parallax Distance ladder Direct checks

Outline. Go over AGN problem, again, should be rotating BH Go over problem 6.6 Olber's paradox Distances Parallax Distance ladder Direct checks Outline Go over AGN problem, again, should be rotating BH Go over problem 6.6 Olber's paradox Distances Parallax Distance ladder Direct checks Why is the night sky dark? (Olber s Paradox 1826) Or what

More information

6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram In addition to its brightness, light in general is characterized by its color. 6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ Depending on the temperature of the matter at

More information

6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram 6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ Supernovae Type Ia in M82 January 22, 2014 Still rising may go to m = 8 (or 10?) What we can learn about stars from their light:

More information

6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram.

6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram. 6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ Supernovae Type Ia in M82 January 22, 2014 Still rising may go to m = 8 (or 10?) What we can learn about stars from their light:

More information

15.1 Properties of Stars

15.1 Properties of Stars Surveying the Stars 15.1 Properties of Stars Our goals for learning: How do we measure stellar luminosities? How do we measure stellar temperatures? How do we measure stellar masses? How do we measure

More information

AST1100 Lecture Notes

AST1100 Lecture Notes AST1100 Lecture Notes 11-12 The cosmic distance ladder How do we measure the distance to distant objects in the universe? There are several methods available, most of which suffer from large uncertainties.

More information

24.1 Hubble s Galaxy Classification

24.1 Hubble s Galaxy Classification Chapter 24 Galaxies Units of Chapter 24 24.1 Hubble s Galaxy Classification 24.2 The Distribution of Galaxies in Space 24.3 Hubble s Law 24.4 XXActive Galactic Nuclei XXRelativistic Redshifts and Look-Back

More information

Galaxies. With a touch of cosmology

Galaxies. With a touch of cosmology Galaxies With a touch of cosmology Types of Galaxies Spiral Elliptical Irregular Spiral Galaxies Spiral Galaxies Disk component where the spiral arms are Interstellar medium Star formation Spheroidal

More information

6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram What we can learn about stars from their light: II Color In addition to its brightness, light in general is characterized by its color (actually its wavelength) 6. Star Colors and the Hertzsprung-Russell

More information

GALAXIES. Prof Steve Phillipps Physics Room 4.12 Level H Spring 2007

GALAXIES. Prof Steve Phillipps Physics Room 4.12 Level H Spring 2007 GALAXIES Prof Steve Phillipps Physics Room 4.12 Level H Spring 2007 Galaxies in the Universe Galaxies are basically large systems of stars (though we will see as we go along that there is more to them

More information

The Milky Way. Finding the Center. Milky Way Composite Photo. Finding the Center. Milky Way : A band of and a. Milky Way

The Milky Way. Finding the Center. Milky Way Composite Photo. Finding the Center. Milky Way : A band of and a. Milky Way The Milky Way Milky Way : A band of and a The band of light we see is really 100 billion stars Milky Way probably looks like Andromeda. Milky Way Composite Photo Milky Way Before the 1920 s, astronomers

More information

There are three basic types of galaxies:

There are three basic types of galaxies: Galaxies There are three basic types of galaxies: Spirals Ellipticals Irregulars To make a long story short, elliptical galaxies are galaxies that have used up all their gas forming stars, or they have

More information

ASTRONOMY. Chapter 19 CELESTIAL DISTANCES PowerPoint Image Slideshow

ASTRONOMY. Chapter 19 CELESTIAL DISTANCES PowerPoint Image Slideshow ASTRONOMY Chapter 19 CELESTIAL DISTANCES PowerPoint Image Slideshow FIGURE 19.1 Globular Cluster M80. This beautiful image shows a giant cluster of stars called Messier 80, located about 28,000 light-years

More information

AST1100 Lecture Notes

AST1100 Lecture Notes AST1100 Lecture Notes 11 12 The cosmic distance ladder How do we measure the distance to distant objects in the universe? There are several methods available, most of which suffer from large uncertainties.

More information

AST2000 Lecture Notes

AST2000 Lecture Notes AST2000 Lecture Notes Part 3A The cosmic distance ladder Questions to ponder before the lecture 1. How do we know that the distance to our closest star is 4 light years? 2. How do we know that our galaxy

More information

Observed Properties of Stars ASTR 2120 Sarazin

Observed Properties of Stars ASTR 2120 Sarazin Observed Properties of Stars ASTR 2120 Sarazin Extrinsic Properties Location Motion kinematics Extrinsic Properties Location Use spherical coordinate system centered on Solar System Two angles (θ,φ) Right

More information

Lecture 14: Other Galaxies A2020 Prof. Tom Megeath. The Milky Way in the Infrared 3/17/10. NGC 7331: the Milky Way s Twins. Spiral Galaxy bulge halo

Lecture 14: Other Galaxies A2020 Prof. Tom Megeath. The Milky Way in the Infrared 3/17/10. NGC 7331: the Milky Way s Twins. Spiral Galaxy bulge halo Lecture 14: Other Galaxies A2020 Prof. Tom Megeath Our Galaxy: Side View We see our galaxy edge-on Primary features: Disk: young and old stars where we live. Bulge: older stars Halo: oldest stars, globular

More information

Relativity and Astrophysics Lecture 15 Terry Herter. RR Lyrae Variables Cepheids Variables Period-Luminosity Relation. A Stellar Properties 2

Relativity and Astrophysics Lecture 15 Terry Herter. RR Lyrae Variables Cepheids Variables Period-Luminosity Relation. A Stellar Properties 2 Stellar Properties Relativity and Astrophysics Lecture 15 Terry Herter Outline Spectroscopic Parallax Masses of Stars Periodic Variable Stars RR Lyrae Variables Cepheids Variables Period-Luminosity Relation

More information

The Milky Way, Hubble Law, the expansion of the Universe and Dark Matter Chapter 14 and 15 The Milky Way Galaxy and the two Magellanic Clouds.

The Milky Way, Hubble Law, the expansion of the Universe and Dark Matter Chapter 14 and 15 The Milky Way Galaxy and the two Magellanic Clouds. The Milky Way, Hubble Law, the expansion of the Universe and Dark Matter Chapter 14 and 15 The Milky Way Galaxy and the two Magellanic Clouds. Image taken from the European Southern Observatory in Chile

More information

The Cosmic Perspective. Surveying the Properties of Stars. Surveying the Stars. How do we measure stellar luminosities?

The Cosmic Perspective. Surveying the Properties of Stars. Surveying the Stars. How do we measure stellar luminosities? Surveying the Stars Chapter 15 Lecture The Cosmic Perspective 15.1 Properties of Stars Our goals for learning: How do we measure stellar luminosities? How do we measure stellar temperatures? How do we

More information

ASTR-1020: Astronomy II Course Lecture Notes Section III

ASTR-1020: Astronomy II Course Lecture Notes Section III ASTR-1020: Astronomy II Course Lecture Notes Section III Dr. Donald G. Luttermoser East Tennessee State University Edition 4.0 Abstract These class notes are designed for use of the instructor and students

More information

Today s Topics & Events

Today s Topics & Events ASTR 1120: Stars & Galaxies Prof. Juri Toomre TA: Licia Ray Lecture 34 Wed 7 Apr 04 zeus.colorado.edu/astr1120-toomre toomre NGC 1232 Today s Topics & Events Today we look at the challenge of measuring

More information

Astronomy 102 Lab: Distances to Galaxies

Astronomy 102 Lab: Distances to Galaxies Name: Astronomy 102 Lab: Distances to Galaxies You will access your textbook for this lab. Pre-Lab Assignment: As we began to talk about stars beyond the Sun, one of the most important pieces of information

More information

Astronomical Distance Determination.

Astronomical Distance Determination. Astronomical Distance Determination http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ Distance ladder (beyond the AU): Determine distances, d 1, for some nearby set of objects using technique 1, but then Find new brighter objects

More information

Galaxies. The majority of known galaxies fall into one of three major classes: spirals (78 %), ellipticals (18 %) and irregulars (4 %).

Galaxies. The majority of known galaxies fall into one of three major classes: spirals (78 %), ellipticals (18 %) and irregulars (4 %). Galaxies Collection of stars, gas and dust bound together by their common gravitational pull. Galaxies range from 10,000 to 200,000 light-years in size. 1781 Charles Messier 1923 Edwin Hubble The distribution

More information

AS1001: Galaxies and Cosmology

AS1001: Galaxies and Cosmology AS1001: Galaxies and Cosmology Keith Horne kdh1@st-and.ac.uk http://www-star.st-and.ac.uk/~kdh1/eg/eg.html Text: Kutner Astronomy:A Physical Perspective Chapters 17-21 Cosmology Today Blah Title Current

More information

2. Can observe radio waves from the nucleus see a strong radio source there Sagittarius A* or Sgr A*.

2. Can observe radio waves from the nucleus see a strong radio source there Sagittarius A* or Sgr A*. 7/7 The Nucleus of the MW its center 1. Can t see the nucleus in visible light too much stuff in the way. 2. Can observe radio waves from the nucleus see a strong radio source there Sagittarius A* or Sgr

More information

ASTRONOMY 2 Overview of the Universe Second Practice Problem Set Solutions

ASTRONOMY 2 Overview of the Universe Second Practice Problem Set Solutions ASTRONOMY 2 Overview of the Universe Second Practice Problem Set Solutions 1. Consider a 2 M neutron star. The mass of a neutron is 1.67 10 24 g, and 1 M = 2 10 33 g. (i) How many neutrons are in this

More information

Defining Cosmological Parameters. Cosmological Parameters. Many Universes (Fig on pp.367)

Defining Cosmological Parameters. Cosmological Parameters. Many Universes (Fig on pp.367) Cosmological Parameters Composition of the universe What fraction is in the form of matter? m Always positive. What fraction is in the form of curvature? k Can be positive (hyperbolic) or negative (spherical).

More information

Big Galaxies Are Rare! Cepheid Distance Measurement. Clusters of Galaxies. The Nature of Galaxies

Big Galaxies Are Rare! Cepheid Distance Measurement. Clusters of Galaxies. The Nature of Galaxies Big Galaxies Are Rare! Potato Chip Rule: More small things than large things Big, bright spirals are easy to see, but least common Dwarf ellipticals & irregulars are most common Faint, hard to see Mostly

More information

Page # Astronomical Distances. Lecture 2. Astronomical Distances. Cosmic Distance Ladder. Distance Methods. Size of Earth

Page # Astronomical Distances. Lecture 2. Astronomical Distances. Cosmic Distance Ladder. Distance Methods. Size of Earth Size of Astronomical istances ecture 2 Astronomical istances istance to the Moon (1 sec) istance to the Sun (8 min) istance to other stars (years) istance to centre of our Galaxy ( 30,000 yr to centre)

More information

Hubble s Law and the Cosmic Distance Scale

Hubble s Law and the Cosmic Distance Scale Lab 7 Hubble s Law and the Cosmic Distance Scale 7.1 Overview Exercise seven is our first extragalactic exercise, highlighting the immense scale of the Universe. It addresses the challenge of determining

More information

Star systems like our Milky Way. Galaxies

Star systems like our Milky Way. Galaxies Galaxies Star systems like our Milky Way Galaxies Contain a few thousand to tens of billions of stars,as well as varying amounts of gas and dust Large variety of shapes and sizes Gas and Dust in

More information

Galaxies & Introduction to Cosmology

Galaxies & Introduction to Cosmology Galaxies & Introduction to Cosmology Other Galaxies: How many are there? Hubble Deep Field Project 100 hour exposures over 10 days Covered an area of the sky about 1/100 the size of the full moon Probably

More information

ASTRONOMY QUIZ NUMBER 11

ASTRONOMY QUIZ NUMBER 11 ASTRONOMY QUIZ NUMBER. Suppose you measure the parallax of a star and find 0. arsecond. The distance to this star is A) 0 light-years B) 0 parsecs C) 0. light-year D) 0. parsec 2. A star is moving toward

More information

The Observable Universe: Redshift, Distances and the Hubble-Law. Max Camenzind Sept 2010

The Observable Universe: Redshift, Distances and the Hubble-Law. Max Camenzind Sept 2010 The Observable Universe: Redshift, Distances and the Hubble-Law Max Camenzind Bremen @ Sept 2010 Key Facts Universe 1. The Universe is expanding and presently even accelerating. Hubble Expansion: Space

More information

The Stars. Background & History The Celestial Sphere: Fixed Stars and the Luminaries

The Stars. Background & History The Celestial Sphere: Fixed Stars and the Luminaries The Stars Background & History The Celestial Sphere: Fixed Stars and the Luminaries The Appearance of Stars on the Sky Brightness and Brightness Variations Atmospheric Effects: Twinkling Variable Stars

More information

Telescopes and estimating the distances to astronomical objects

Telescopes and estimating the distances to astronomical objects Telescopes and estimating the distances to astronomical objects Why do we use telescopes? 1. Light-collecting area: A telescope is a light bucket Q: How much more light can a telescope with a diameter

More information

Week 1 Introduction: GR, Distances, Surveys

Week 1 Introduction: GR, Distances, Surveys Astronomy 233 Spring 2011 Physical Cosmology Week 1 Introduction: GR, Distances, Surveys Joel Primack University of California, Santa Cruz Modern Cosmology A series of major discoveries has laid a lasting

More information

Guiding Questions. Measuring Stars

Guiding Questions. Measuring Stars Measuring Stars Guiding Questions 1. How far away are the stars? 2. What is meant by a first-magnitude or second magnitude star? 3. Why are some stars red and others blue? 4. What are the stars made of?

More information

COSMIC DISTANCE LADDER

COSMIC DISTANCE LADDER ASTC02 - PROF. HANNO REIN COSMIC DISTANCE LADDER ADAPTED FROM SLIDES BY TERENCE TAO (UCLA) HOW FAR AWAY IS COSMIC DISTANCE LADDER Work out the answer in steps (rungs) Starting with short distances ( human

More information

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE ASTRO 202 Age of the Universe Tuesday February 19, 2008 STARS: How and where do they form? From clouds of dust and gas primarily hydrogen -in our galaxy and other galaxies Part of the Orion nebula (Hubble

More information

Basic Properties of the Stars

Basic Properties of the Stars Basic Properties of the Stars The Sun-centered model of the solar system laid out by Copernicus in De Revolutionibus (1543) made a very specific prediction: that the nearby stars should exhibit parallax

More information

Astronomy. The Nature of Stars

Astronomy. The Nature of Stars Astronomy A. Dayle Hancock adhancock@wm.edu Small 239 Office hours: MTWR 10-11am The Nature of Stars Distances to stars A Star's brightness and Luminosity A Magnitude scale Color indicates a Star's temperature

More information

Lecture Outlines. Chapter 17. Astronomy Today 8th Edition Chaisson/McMillan Pearson Education, Inc.

Lecture Outlines. Chapter 17. Astronomy Today 8th Edition Chaisson/McMillan Pearson Education, Inc. Lecture Outlines Chapter 17 Astronomy Today 8th Edition Chaisson/McMillan Chapter 17 Measuring the Stars Units of Chapter 17 17.1 The Solar Neighborhood 17.2 Luminosity and Apparent Brightness 17.3 Stellar

More information

Intro to Astrophysics

Intro to Astrophysics Intro to Astrophysics Dr. Bill Pezzaglia 1 III. Introduction To Astrophysics A. Distances to Stars B. Binary Stars C. HR Diagrams 2 Updated: Nov 2007 A. Stellar Distances 1. Method of Parallax 2. Absolute

More information

V. Astronomy Section

V. Astronomy Section EAS 100 Planet Earth Lecture Topics Brief Outlines V. Astronomy Section 1. Introduction, Astronomical Distances, Solar System Learning objectives: Develop an understanding of Earth s position in the solar

More information

Determining distance. L 4π f. d = d = R θ. Standard candle. Standard ruler

Determining distance. L 4π f. d = d = R θ. Standard candle. Standard ruler Determining distance Standard candle d = L 4π f 1 2 d L Standard ruler d = R θ θ R Determining distance: Parallax RULER tanπ = R d π R d π R = 1AU = 1.5 10 13 cm Define new distance unit: parsec (parallax-second)

More information

Lecture 16 The Measuring the Stars 3/26/2018

Lecture 16 The Measuring the Stars 3/26/2018 Lecture 16 The Measuring the Stars 3/26/2018 Test 2 Results D C B A Questions that I thought were unfair: 13, 18, 25, 76, 77, 80 Curved from 85 to 79 Measuring stars How far away are they? How bright are

More information

Galaxies and Cosmology

Galaxies and Cosmology 4/28/17 The Discovery of Galaxies Up to the 1920 s, astronomers were not sure exactly how far away galaxies were, and thus didn t know how big they are! Spiral Nebulae could be assumed to be inside our

More information

Galaxies. Hubbleʼs Law. Author: Sarah Roberts

Galaxies. Hubbleʼs Law. Author: Sarah Roberts Galaxies Hubbleʼs Law Author: Sarah Roberts Hubbleʼs Law Introduction The first galaxies were identified in the 17th Century by the French astronomer Charles Messier, although at the time he did not know

More information

Stars I. Distance and Magnitude. How Does One Measure Distance? Distances. Stellar Parallax. Distance Equation some examples!

Stars I. Distance and Magnitude. How Does One Measure Distance? Distances. Stellar Parallax. Distance Equation some examples! Stars I Distance and Magnitude Chapter 17 Why doesn t comparison work? Distances The nearest star (Alpha Centauri) is 40 trillion kilometers away(4 ly) Distance is one of the most important quantities

More information

Chapter 15: Surveying the Stars

Chapter 15: Surveying the Stars Chapter 15 Lecture Chapter 15: Surveying the Stars Surveying the Stars 15.1 Properties of Stars Our goals for learning: How do we measure stellar luminosities? How do we measure stellar temperatures? How

More information

Structure & Evolution of Stars 1

Structure & Evolution of Stars 1 Structure and Evolution of Stars Lecture 2: Observational Properties Distance measurement Space velocities Apparent magnitudes and colours Absolute magnitudes and luminosities Blackbodies and temperatures

More information

How to Understand Stars Chapter 17 How do stars differ? Is the Sun typical? Location in space. Gaia. How parallax relates to distance

How to Understand Stars Chapter 17 How do stars differ? Is the Sun typical? Location in space. Gaia. How parallax relates to distance How to Understand Stars Chapter 7 How do stars differ? Is the Sun typical? Image of Orion illustrates: The huge number of stars Colors Interstellar gas Location in space Two dimensions are easy measure

More information

Chapter 15 Surveying the Stars Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 15 Surveying the Stars Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 15 Surveying the Stars 15.1 Properties of Stars Our goals for learning: How do we measure stellar luminosities? How do we measure stellar temperatures? How do we measure stellar masses? 1. How

More information

Measuring the Properties of Stars (ch. 17) [Material in smaller font on this page will not be present on the exam]

Measuring the Properties of Stars (ch. 17) [Material in smaller font on this page will not be present on the exam] Measuring the Properties of Stars (ch. 17) [Material in smaller font on this page will not be present on the exam] Although we can be certain that other stars are as complex as the Sun, we will try to

More information

11/9/2010. Stars, Galaxies & the Universe Announcements. Sky & Telescope s Week at a Glance. iphone App available now.

11/9/2010. Stars, Galaxies & the Universe Announcements. Sky & Telescope s Week at a Glance. iphone App available now. Stars, Galaxies & the Universe Announcements Reading Quiz #11 Wednesday Mix of questions from today s lecture & reading for Wed. on active galaxies HW#10 in ICON due Friday (11/12) by 5 pm - available

More information

OPTION E, ASTROPHYSICS TEST REVIEW

OPTION E, ASTROPHYSICS TEST REVIEW IB PHYSICS Name: DEVIL PHYSICS Period: Date: BADDEST CLASS ON CAMPUS OPTION E, ASTROPHYSICS TEST REVIEW S1. This question is about the nature of certain stars on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and determining

More information

MEASURING DISTANCES IN ASTRONOMY

MEASURING DISTANCES IN ASTRONOMY Basic Principles: MEASURING DISTANCES IN ASTRONOMY Geometric methods Standard candles Standard rulers [the last two methods relate quantities that are independent of distance to quantities that depend

More information

Distances to Stars. Important as determines actual brightness but hard to measure as stars are so far away

Distances to Stars. Important as determines actual brightness but hard to measure as stars are so far away SECTION II: Nature of Stars Astronomers measure properties of Stars Distance Mass Apparent Brightness Surface Temperature Radius Find that some are related Large Mass Large Absolute Brightness We will

More information

Astronomical Distance Determination

Astronomical Distance Determination Distance ladder (beyond the AU): Determine distances, d 1, for some nearby set of objects using technique 1, but then Astronomical Distance Determination http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ Find new brighter objects

More information

1 (a) Explain what is meant by a white dwarf when describing the evolution of a star [1]

1 (a) Explain what is meant by a white dwarf when describing the evolution of a star [1] 1 (a) Explain what is meant by a white dwarf when describing the evolution of a star.... [1] (b) Antares is a red giant and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. The parallax angle for this star

More information

THE EXPANSION RATE AND AGE OF THE UNIVERSE

THE EXPANSION RATE AND AGE OF THE UNIVERSE THE EXPANSION RATE AND AGE OF THE UNIVERSE I. Introduction: The visible Universe contains about 100 billion galaxies of several different types. The oldest galaxies are the elliptical galaxies, which show

More information

A 103 Notes, Week 14, Kaufmann-Comins Chapter 15

A 103 Notes, Week 14, Kaufmann-Comins Chapter 15 NEARBY GALAXIES I. Brief History A 103 Notes, Week 14, Kaufmann-Comins Chapter 15 A. Kant B. Curtis-Shapley debate C. Distance to Andromeda II. Classification of nearby galaxies: Spirals, Ellipticals,

More information

AST 248, Lecture 2. James Lattimer. Department of Physics & Astronomy 449 ESS Bldg. Stony Brook University. January 28, 2015

AST 248, Lecture 2. James Lattimer. Department of Physics & Astronomy 449 ESS Bldg. Stony Brook University. January 28, 2015 AST 248, Lecture 2 James Lattimer Department of Physics & Astronomy 449 ESS Bldg. Stony Brook University January 28, 2015 The Search for Life in the Universe james.lattimer@stonybrook.edu Distances in

More information

Astronomical Distance Determination

Astronomical Distance Determination Astronomical Distance Determination http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ For relatively nearby sources, one can measure distances by surveying - by measuring the very small angles that a star s position is displaced

More information

Astro 13 Galaxies & Cosmology LECTURE 4 Tues 18 Jan 2011 P. Madau. I Cosmological Principles 25m II Why is the Sky Dark? (Olber s

Astro 13 Galaxies & Cosmology LECTURE 4 Tues 18 Jan 2011 P. Madau. I Cosmological Principles 25m II Why is the Sky Dark? (Olber s Astro 13 Galaxies & Cosmology LECTURE 4 Tues 18 Jan 2011 P. Madau 20m I Cosmological Principles 25m II Why is the Sky Dark? (Olber s Paradox) 10m III Break 15m IV Expanding Univ. - Hubble Constant 20m

More information

OPTION E, ASTROPHYSICS TEST REVIEW

OPTION E, ASTROPHYSICS TEST REVIEW IB PHYSICS Name: DEVIL PHYSICS Period: Date: # Marks: XX Raw Score: IB Curve: BADDEST CLASS ON CAMPUS OPTION E, ASTROPHYSICS TEST REVIEW S1. This question is about the nature of certain stars on the Hertzsprung-Russell

More information

27.1: Characteristics of Stars

27.1: Characteristics of Stars 27.1: Characteristics of Stars STAR NOTES: Part 1 What is a Star? A body of gases that gives off energy in the form of light and heat. 27.1: Characteristics of Stars Are all stars the same? No 1. Stars

More information

Earth-based parallax measurements have led to the conclusion that the Pleiades star cluster is about 435 light-years from Earth.

Earth-based parallax measurements have led to the conclusion that the Pleiades star cluster is about 435 light-years from Earth. 1 The Pleiades star cluster is a prominent sight in the night sky. All the stars in the cluster were formed from the same gas cloud. Hence the stars have nearly identical ages and compositions, but vary

More information

Clicker Questions (chapters 6-18)

Clicker Questions (chapters 6-18) Clicker Questions (chapters 6-18) 1. Officially, how many planets are there in our solar system? a. 8 b. 9 c. dozens 2. The Doppler formula is v = ( λ/λ) 300,000 km/sec for light waves. A particular feature

More information

Lecture 14: Studying the stars. Astronomy 111 Monday October 16, 2017

Lecture 14: Studying the stars. Astronomy 111 Monday October 16, 2017 Lecture 14: Studying the stars Astronomy 111 Monday October 16, 2017 Reminders Homework #7 due Monday I will give a lecture on DES and LIGO tomorrow at 4pm in the Mitchell Institute Studying the stars

More information