Space Flashcards
What is one AU
the distance between the earth and then sun which can be used in trigonometric parallax (1.5x10^11m)
What is one light year
The distance light travels in a year (9.46x10^15m)
What is trigonometric parallax
A method used to measure distance in space by using trigonometry
Describe the trigonometric parallax method
-A distant star is viewed from 2 opposite points of earths orbit
-the apparent change of position of the star relative to fixed background in measured
-the change in position is called parallax
what is a parsec
the distance of a star with a parallax angle of 1 Arcsecond
what is an arcsecond
1/3600 degrees
the hertz burg-russel diagram
visual representation used to help understand the life cycle of stars
what are the axis of the hertz burg-russel diagram
luminosity and temperature
which way does the temperature scale go
hottest on the left and coolest on the right
what is the Doppler effect
when a source emitting a sound is moving relative to a fixed position, when moving towards us the wavelength is squashed and when movie away the wavelength is stretched
how does the Doppler effect relative to red shift
wavelength corresponds with frequency so an object emitting light moving away, the light shifts towards the red end of the spectra
what does redshift show
more distant galaxies demonstrate greater redshift suggesting they are moving away at a faster rate
The Big Bang theory
the universe started at a very small and hot region that has expanded and cooled over billions of years
evidence of the Big Bang
red shift
cosmic microwave background
Hubbles Law
relates the distance of galaxies to the rate which they are moving away at
