Question

Which of these is the best method to measure the distance to a star?

calculate the variations in the position of the star due to movement of Earth in its orbit
measure the red shift of emitted light and use it in calculations
use doppler effect to calculate the shift in light traveling from star to Earth in summer
use doppler effect to calculate the shift in light traveling from star to Earth in winter

Answer 1

Answer;

Calculate the variations in the position of the star due to movement of Earth in its orbit

Explanations;

• Astronomers can measure the distance to a star by calculating the variations in the position of the star due to movement of Earth in its orbit, a method called parallax.
• Parallax refers to the apparent displacement of an object such as a star because of a change in the point of view of the observer. As the sun orbits the nearby stars appear to move against the more distance background stars.
• Therefore, astronomers can measure the position of the star and then after 6 months and then calculate the apparent change in position.

Answer 2

Based on my research, I believe that the answer is calculate the variations in the position of the star due to movement of Earth in its orbit. The answer would be the first option. This involves measuring Parallax. Hope this is the answer that you are looking for.