Astronomical Measurements and Observations

Vocabulary flashcards covering the methods used to calculate or observe various astronomical properties based on the provided lecture notes.

Distance to a night-sky star

Determined by making two observations 6 months apart.

Speed of light

Impossible to find.

Absolute magnitude

Calculated using distance and apparent magnitude.

Mass of Earth

Determined by observing a falling apple.

Mass of Sun

Calculated using the orbital speed of Earth.

Surface temperature of Sun

Calculated using the peak wavelength of the blackbody curve.

Diameter of Earth

Found by observing the sun’s position from two points.

Luminosity of Sun

Calculated using a light meter and the radius of Earth’s orbit.

Speed of object moving toward you

Detected as a blueshift.

Speed of object moving away from you

Detected as a redshift.

Elements in the Sun

Determined by observing dark lines in front of a rainbow.

Escape velocity at surface of a planet

Calculated using radius and mass.

Energy of a photon

Calculated using Planck’s constant and frequency.

Ascension

Calculated using declination and right ascension.

Size of an object

Calculated using angular size and distance.

Distance to the Sun

Determined by observing the orbit of Venus and a transit of Venus.