ASTR112 Lecture 8 Lecture 8 and 9 Stellar distances: trigonometric parallax

Stellar Distances and Luminosi8es The Sun is a very ordinary dwarf star seen at close range.
Stellar distances I: Parallax The nearest star is Proxima Centauri (a faint component of the triple
Hipparcos star system α Centauri).
Absolute magnitude and distance modulus
As Earth orbits the Sun, our viewpoint on Proxima Centauri changes:

Earth
The Hertzsprung Russell diagram Proxima
Gaia d
Stellar distances II: Cepheids r = 1 AU Centauri

Sun p
p
r = 1 AU
Measuring distance is one of the biggest d
problems in astronomy!
Earth 6 months later

What is parallax? What is parallax? Stellar parallax

Parallax as it appears
from the Earth
(sped up and
exaggerated)

Parallax as it appears
from “God’s eye view”
 Stellar distances: parallax Stellar distances: parallax Parallax decreases with distance
d = r/p
p = (trigonometric) parallax = 0.764” for Proxima Centauri
1 pc = 1 AU/(2π /360 x 3600) = 206265 AU = 3.1 x 1016 m
(0.764/3600) x (2π/360) = 3.7x10-6 → p in radians d (pc) = 1/p (arcsec)
1 arcsec in radians How big 1 parsec is in AU or metres

If p is in radians: r = pd or d = r/p r
p
d
Therefore: d Prox Cen = 1 AU/(3.7x10-6) In general: d (pc) = 1/p (arcsec)
= 270 000 AU = 4.05 x 1013 km
1 pc is the distance at which a star has a parallax of 1” (arcsecond)

Astronomers define a new unit of length, the parsec.

Example: d Prox Cen (pc) = 1/0.764” = 1.31 pc
DEFINITION:
1 parsec is the distance at which a star has a parallax of1” (arcsec)

“Seeing”: the sizes of star images Parallax: Limita8ons of the method

• Earth: best precision ~ 0.01”, ~100 pc
January June
• Hipparcos (1989-1993): Precision ~0.001”, ~1000 pc,
~110 000 stars
1" seeing disk • GAIA (2013-2020): 109 stars to microarcsecond
accuracy, 10% accuracy out to 10 000 pc, less
accuracy out to ~20 000 pc
• Milky Way galaxy: extends ~20x further than
3 arcsec
Hipparcos and ~2 8mes further than GAIA
0.764" parallax angle for • Most distant visible galaxies: extends several billion
proxima Centauri (only a 8mes further!
215 arcsec 17 arcsec 0.764" parallax shift fraction of a seeing disk)

The “seeing” depends on a number of factors including the turbulence All other stars have
of the atmosphere: “blurs” images to ~2” at Mt John SMALLER parallax So, need a different method for stars at larger distance
(i.e. a distance ladder) … which is another story…
 Absolute Magnitude, M Absolute magnitude and distance modulus
DEFINITION: The absolute magnitude of a star is the apparent (m – M) = 5.0 log10 d – 5
magnitude the star would have at a distance 10 parsecs.
(m – M) is called the “distance modulus”
For a star: L* = 4π d2 f* or f* = L* /(4π d2)
Now: m = –2.5 log10 f* + c log(ab) = log(a) + log(b) Can rearrange: M = m – 5.0 log10 d + 5
log(a/b) = log(a)-log(b)
Therefore: m = –2.5 log10 (L* /4π d2) + c log(a2) = 2log(a) Measure m Measure d
m = –2.5 log10 (L*) + 2.5 log10 (4π) + 2.5 log10 (d2) + c (brightness from parallax
from Earth)
Or: m = –2.5 log10 L* + 5.0 log10 d + c’ (1)
The absolute magnitude can refer to all wavelengths (bolometric)
If we set the distance to 10 pc – the magnitude we get is thus numerically or just a par8cular filter passband:
equal to the absolute magnitude, M:
(i.e. relates M e.g. MV = mV – 5.0 log10 d + 5 m V = V , mB = B
M = –2.5 log10 L* + 5.0 + c’ (2) to luminosity)
Mbol = mbol – 5.0 log10 d + 5
(m – M) = 5.0 log10 d – 5 from (1) – (2)

Absolute magnitude and distance modulus L (watts) L/L! Absolute Magnitude, M The range of absolute magnitudes for stars
4x1036 1010 -20 Spiral Galaxies
(m – M) = 5.0 log10 d – 5 Type Ia Supernovae
4x1034 108 -15
If we see a star through interstellar dust, its flux is weakened,
M = –10 Most luminous stars!
therefore m becomes numerically larger (the star is fainter). 4x1032 106 -10 15 mag brighter than Sun 100x100x100
Rigel – 7.1 –5 = 106 x more luminous
4x1030 104 -5
If the exVncVon is A magnitudes: 0
4x1028 102 0
Vega +0.5
m = M + 5.0 log10 d – 5 + A Sirius A +1.42
MSun = + 5 ~ Mid-range for stars
🔭 4x1026 100 +5 Sun +4.8
+10
4x1024 10-2 +10 Sirius B +11

4x1022 10-4 +15 Faint White Dwarfs M = +15 Faintest stars!

10 mag fainter (104 x less luminous)
🔭 Brown Dwarfs than Sun
4x1020 10-6 +20