Measuring Universal distances
Parallax- Parallax is used to measure distances to nearby stars. It is the apparent shift of an object when viewed at two different lines of sight. Objects that are closer to our solar system have a larger parllax than objects that are farther away.
Cepheid Variables- Cepheid variables are a member of a class os pulsating variable stars. Cepheid variables with the same period have nearly the same intrinsic brightness but have different apparent brightness because they are at different distances. By comparing the intrinsic brightness to the apparent brightness you can determine its distance from Earth.
Light Year- A light year is the distance light travels in one year, which is about 6 trillion miles. We use this to measure star distance by caculating how many years it takes for light from the star to reach Earthand then use that information to determine how far away the star is.
A.U.-A.U. stands for astronomical unit which measures 97 million miles per unit, which is also the distance Earth's orbit is around the sun. It is used for space objects tat are not far enough for light years and not close enough for miles, such as an asteroid or comet.
Parsec- Parsec is another unit of distance in astronomy that is equal to 3.25 light years or the distance photons will travel in vacuum over 3.26 years. It is one of the largest units in astronomy and is usually preffered over light years by astronomers to determine distance.
Cepheid Variables- Cepheid variables are a member of a class os pulsating variable stars. Cepheid variables with the same period have nearly the same intrinsic brightness but have different apparent brightness because they are at different distances. By comparing the intrinsic brightness to the apparent brightness you can determine its distance from Earth.
Light Year- A light year is the distance light travels in one year, which is about 6 trillion miles. We use this to measure star distance by caculating how many years it takes for light from the star to reach Earthand then use that information to determine how far away the star is.
A.U.-A.U. stands for astronomical unit which measures 97 million miles per unit, which is also the distance Earth's orbit is around the sun. It is used for space objects tat are not far enough for light years and not close enough for miles, such as an asteroid or comet.
Parsec- Parsec is another unit of distance in astronomy that is equal to 3.25 light years or the distance photons will travel in vacuum over 3.26 years. It is one of the largest units in astronomy and is usually preffered over light years by astronomers to determine distance.