Parallax Method

Question

The parallax of a celestial object is 0.5 arc seconds. What is the distance to this object in parsecs?

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

1. **Parsec Definition**: 1 parsec is the distance at which the mean radius of the Earth's orbit (1 AU) subtends an angle of one second of arc.
2. **Formula**: $d (pc) = \frac{1}{	heta (arcsec)}$.
3. **Input**: $	heta = 0.5$ arc seconds.
4. **Calculation**: $d = 1 / 0.5 = 2$.
5. **Result**: The distance is **2 parsecs**.

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Parallax Method

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