Could the method of trigonometric parallax be used to determine the distance to the Andromeda galaxy?

The Andromeda Galaxy, M31, is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. The distance to M31 has been measured using other techniques to be 2.5⋅106 light years , or 7.6⋅105 parsecs . Using the slightly modified parallax formula, we can find the necessary parallax angle to measure the distance to Andromeda.

What is the most effective way to measure distances to nearby galaxies?

Answer:

1. Radar – measuring distances in our solar system.
2. Parallax – measuring distances to nearby stars.
3. Cepheids – measuring distances in our Galaxy and to nearby galaxies.
4. Supernovae – measuring distances to other galaxies.
5. Redshift and Hubble’s Law – measuring distances to objects far, far away.

How is trigonometry used in parallax?

The angular shift, called the parallax, is one angle of a triangle and the distance between the two vantage points is one side of the triangle. Basic trigonometric relations between the lengths of the sides of a triangle and its angles are used to calculate the lengths of all of the sides of the triangle.

Can trigonometric parallax be measured for all stars?

The only star with a parallax greater than 1 arcsec as seen from the Earth is the Sun – all other known stars are at distances greater than 1 pc and parallax angles less than 1 arcsec.

Why can’t we use parallax to measure its distance?

1. a) Astronomers use the parallax method to measure the distance to nearby stars, but we can’t use it to measure the distance to stars in other galaxies. They are so distant that the parallax is too small to be measured since parallax varies inversely with distance.

Why can parallax only be used to measure distances to stars that are relatively close to Earth?

Because the change in viewing angle is so small for most stars that we cannot resolve it. We can measure only distances out to about 1000 light years.

How can parallax be used to determine the distance to stars?

Astronomers use an effect called parallax to measure distances to nearby stars. Parallax is the apparent displacement of an object because of a change in the observer’s point of view….Answer

1. 1/0.723 = 1.38 parsecs.
2. 1/2.64 = 0.34 arcseconds.
3. Star A is closest to Earth. It is 1 parsec closer than Star B.

How far can trigonometric parallax be used reliably to determine the distance to stars quizlet?

The apparent shift of a star against a distant, seemingly static background of stars, when observed from two different locations. What is parallax? Its distance from Earth. What can we determine using the parallax of a celestial object?

How far away can parallax be used to measure stars?

Limitations of Distance Measurement Using Stellar Parallax Parallax angles of less than 0.01 arcsec are very difficult to measure from Earth because of the effects of the Earth’s atmosphere. This limits Earth based telescopes to measuring the distances to stars about 1/0.01 or 100 parsecs away.

What is the most effective way to measure distances to nearby stars?

Astronomers use an effect called parallax to measure distances to nearby stars. Parallax is the apparent displacement of an object because of a change in the observer’s point of view.