๐Ÿชintro to astronomy review

key term - Distance

Definition

Distance in astronomy is the measure of space between two celestial objects. It is often expressed in units like light-years, parsecs, or astronomical units (AU).

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. 1 light-year is the distance light travels in one year, approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers.
  2. A parsec is equivalent to about 3.26 light-years and is based on the parallax angle of one arcsecond.
  3. The astronomical unit (AU) represents the average distance between Earth and the Sun, roughly 149.6 million kilometers.
  4. Parallax method involves measuring the apparent shift of a star against distant background objects as observed from different positions along Earth's orbit.
  5. Redshift and standard candles (like Cepheid variables) are methods used for determining distances to far-off galaxies.

Review Questions

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