Parallax and light years

What is parallax?

• The apparent shift in position of an object when viewed from different angles

• The actual movement of an object in space

• The change in brightness of a star over time

• The gravitational pull between two celestial bodies

What is the baseline used in stellar parallax measurements?

• The diameter of the Earth

• The distance from the Earth to the Moon

• The distance from the Earth to the Sun

• The diameter of the Sun

How is the parallax angle typically measured?

• In degrees

• In radians

• In arcseconds

• In light-years

What is the main application of parallax in astronomy?

• Measuring the temperature of stars

• Determining the chemical composition of stars

• Measuring distances to nearby stars

• Calculating the mass of planets

What is a limitation of using parallax to measure astronomical distances?

• It can only be used for very distant galaxies

• It is only accurate for objects within our solar system

• It is only effective for relatively nearby stars

• It requires the use of radio telescopes

What is the historical significance of measuring stellar parallax?

• It proved the Earth is the centre of the universe

• It provided evidence for the heliocentric model of the solar system

• It confirmed the existence of black holes

• It demonstrated the expansion of the universe

What is the unit of distance commonly used in parallax measurements?

• Light-year

• Parsec

• Astronomical unit

• Mile

How does the parallax angle change as the distance to a star increases?

• It increases

• It decreases

• It remains constant

• It fluctuates randomly

Which instrument is primarily used to measure parallax angles?

• Spectrometer

• Telescope

• Microscope

• Barometer