Final answer:
The distances to planets are measured using Kepler's laws and triangulation methods. Key steps include establishing Earth's dimensions, using telescopes and satellites for parallax measurements, and extending to space objects with methods like utilizing standard candles.
Step-by-step explanation:
Methods for Measuring Distances to Planets
To discover the distances to planets within our solar system, astronomers primarily utilize Kepler's laws and triangulation. This process starts with the accurate determination of the size of Earth, which serves as a foundational measure for all other celestial distances. The three steps of Kepler's laws provide distances in terms of astronomical units (AU), where 1 AU is the average distance from the Earth to the Sun. Triangulation, or parallax, involves observing a planet from two different points in Earth's orbit and measuring the angle of displacement. This angle helps to calculate the distance more accurately. Furthermore, for more precision, space-based satellites with advanced instruments can conduct these measurements without atmospheric interference, thus providing a clearer view.
Increasing the scale, these methodologies are extended to determine distances to stars and further to remote clusters of galaxies. Special types of stars called standard candles are used, which have known brightness allowing astronomers to estimate their distances based on how bright they appear from Earth. Satellite missions like the Gaia mission are currently surveying the night sky for these measurements.
Ultimately, the sequential steps involve measuring earth's dimensions, applying those measures to obtain distances within our solar system using Kepler's laws, then leveraging triangulation and standard candles to reach even farther, and finally utilizing advanced instruments onboard satellites for the utmost precision in measuring astronomical distances.