Explain what an interferometer is and give an example
What will be an ideal response?
Interferometers are groups of telescopes that have been linked together and interfere the light waves that they receive to achieve the same angular resolution (but not the collecting area) as a much larger telescope. An example is the Very Large Array in New Mexico, which links 27 telescopes, each the size of a large house, over tens of miles.
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The centers of granules
a. are hot material rising to the photosphere from below. b. are cool material falling from the photosphere to the regions below. c. are fainter and hotter than their surroundings. d. are brighter and cooler than their surroundings. e. show strong Zeeman effects.
Why would Earth's orbit be unaffected were the Sun to suddenly become a black hole (with no change in its mass)?
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What is the ionization energy of singly ionized helium?
A) 54.4 eV B) 13.6 eV C) 27.2 eV D) 6.80 eV E) 36.4 eV
Inferring stellar lifetimes: Scientists must often draw on a variety of concepts to develop new understanding. Take, for example, the inferred lifetimes of stars
What two properties must be precisely measured in order to estimate the lifetime? Outline the set of observations that must be made in order to determine those properties. Then discuss the fundamental physics that must be understood to relate these to the rate at which hydrogen is converted to helium in the stellar core, and to determine the amount of hydrogen available in the core.