How is the distance to stars measured? Detailed answer

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How is the distance to stars measured? Detailed answer

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How is the distance to stars measured?

Stars reach enormous sizes, although they appear to us as small points of light. This happens because they are very far from the Earth. Indeed, although we can measure the distance to them, we can hardly imagine it. The distance to the stars is so great that it is measured in light years, not kilometers.

A light year is the distance that light travels in a year, it is approximately 9 kilometers. The closest star to us that can be seen with the naked eye is 646 light years away. This is Alpha Centauri. The sun is also a star. If it were as far away as Alpha Centauri, it would also appear to us as a point of light. Here is one way astronomers measure the distance to a star. Scientists observe the star in two positions.

For example, from two points located on opposite sides of the Earth. Or from the same point, but with a difference of half a year, when the Earth turns to the star with the opposite side. In this case, the star also changes its position. This change in its position is called parallax. By measuring the parallax of a star, astronomers can calculate its distance.

Since the stars are very far away, the observation must be made with a telescope. Scientists have observed and photographed millions of stars through a telescope. The most distant objects, visible only through a telescope, are thousands of millions of light years away.

Author: Likum A.

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

Who are the parasites?

Sometimes you can hear from people that they don't want to live like parasites. They want to do everything themselves. Parasites live inside or outside other organisms - the so-called "hosts". All living beings live independently. But parasites live at the expense of other organisms. Parasites take everything from the "owner", but do not give him anything in return! Both plants and animals can be parasites. They can live either on plants or on animals. Sometimes parasites live with different kinds of "hosts", but usually they can coexist with one kind of "host".

Sometimes parasites suck out all the juices from the "master", secrete toxic substances and thereby kill him. Almost all forms of parasites are very prolific and hardy. If it were not so, they could be completely exterminated! Let's look at some parasites. The smallest of them are bacteria. Bacteria are known to cause disease in animals and plants, as well as in humans.

Next in development are fungal parasites. Ringworm in humans is caused by one of these plant parasites. Other types can cause rust, mold and plant wilt. There are a large number of parasites in the animal kingdom. Here also the smallest parasite is one of the most significant. There is such a microscopic single-celled animal - the protozoa. These parasites cause African sleeping sickness, malaria and other diseases in humans.

Some types of worms are the next group of parasitic animals. Roundworm - trichina - the cause of the disease of pigs and humans with trichinosis. Parasites are also worms and flatworms. The highest form of parasites that settle on the skin are fleas, ticks and lice.

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