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Chapter 1: Problem 12
How many arcseconds equal \(1^{\circ}\) ?
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Access the AIMM (Active Integrated Media Module) called "Small-Angle Toolbox" in Chapter 1 of the Universe Web site or eBook. Use this to determine the diameters in kilometers of the Sun, Saturn, and Pluto given the following distances and angular sizes:
A person with good vision can see details that subtend an angle of as small as 1 arcminute. If two dark lines on an eye chart are 2 millimeters apart, how far can such a person be from the chart and still be able to tell that there are two distinct lines? Give your answer in meters.
What is the advantage to the astronomer of using the lightyear as a unit of distance?
On April 18,2006 , the planet Venus was a distance of \(0.869\) AU from Earth. The diameter of Venus is \(12,104 \mathrm{~km}\). What was the angular size of Venus as seen from Earth on April 18,2006 ? Give your answer in arcminutes.
The star Altair is \(5.15\) pc from Earth. (a) What is the distance to Altair in kilometers? Use powers-of-ten notation. (b) How long does it take for light emanating from Altair to reach Earth? Give your answer in years. (Hint: You do not need to know the value of the speed of light.)
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