Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course List)
14th Edition
ISBN: 9781305960961
Author: Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Textbook Question
Chapter 12, Problem 2RQ
Why didn’t astronomers before Shapley realize how large the galaxy is?
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A galaxy's rotation curve is a measure of the orbital speed of stars as a function of distance
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How astronomers determine the distance of a galaxy? Explain.
Among the globular clusters orbiting a distant galaxy, one is moving at 534 km/s and is located 14 kpc from the center of the galaxy. Assuming the globular cluster is located outside most of the mass of the galaxy, what is the mass of the galaxy? Convert your answer to solar masses. (Hint: Use the formula for circular velocity,
Vc =
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make sure you convert relevant quantities to units of meters, kilograms, and seconds. Note: 1 pc = 3.1 ✕ 1016 m.)
Chapter 12 Solutions
Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course List)
Ch. 12 - Why is it difficult to specify the dimensions of...Ch. 12 - Why didn’t astronomers before Shapley realize how...Ch. 12 - Prob. 3RQCh. 12 - Prob. 4RQCh. 12 - Prob. 5RQCh. 12 - Prob. 6RQCh. 12 - Prob. 7RQCh. 12 - Prob. 8RQCh. 12 - Prob. 9RQCh. 12 - Prob. 10RQ
Ch. 12 - Prob. 11RQCh. 12 - Prob. 12RQCh. 12 - Prob. 13RQCh. 12 - Prob. 14RQCh. 12 - Prob. 15RQCh. 12 - Prob. 16RQCh. 12 - Prob. 1DQCh. 12 - Prob. 2DQCh. 12 - Prob. 1PCh. 12 - Prob. 2PCh. 12 - Prob. 3PCh. 12 - Prob. 4PCh. 12 - Prob. 5PCh. 12 - Prob. 6PCh. 12 - Prob. 7PCh. 12 - If the Sun is 4.6 billion years old, how many...Ch. 12 - Prob. 9PCh. 12 - Prob. 10PCh. 12 - Prob. 11PCh. 12 - Prob. 12PCh. 12 - Prob. 1LTLCh. 12 - Prob. 2LTL
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- Figure 2 shows the "rotation curve" of NGC 2742. It plots the “radial velocity (V)" (how fast material is moving either toward or away from us) that is measured for objects at different distances (R = radius") from the center of the galaxy. The center of the galaxy is at 0 kpc (kiloparsecs) with a speed of 9 km/sec away from us. (These velocities have been corrected for the observed tilt of the galaxy and represent true orbital velocities of the stars and gas.) 200 100 U4779 -100 As you can see, one side of the galaxy is moving with a negative velocity (spinning toward us), while the other side has a positive velocity (spinning away from us). Using Newton's gravity equation, we will be able to determine the gravitational mass of the entire galaxy and how the mass varies versus distance from the galaxy's center. -200 -8 8 -4 Radius (kpc) Read the following text carefully and follow the instructions: Select five radii spaced evenly from 0-10 kpc across the galaxy. Your selections should…arrow_forwardAmong the globular clusters orbiting a distant galaxy, one is moving at 417 km/s and is located 16 kpc from the center of the galaxy. Assuming the globular cluster is located outside most of the mass of the galaxy, what is the mass of the galaxy? Convert your answer to solar masses. (Hint: Use the formula for circular velocity, V, = V GM ; make sure you convert relevant quantities to units of meters, kilograms, and seconds. Note: 1 pc = 3.1 x 1016 m.) solar masses (M.)arrow_forwardIf the active core of a galaxy contains a black hole of 106?Θ (1 million solar masses), what will the orbital velocity be for matter orbiting the black hole at a distance of 0.33 AU? (Hint: use the formula for orbital velocity: ?=√???; where ?=6.67×10−11 ?3?? ?2 and ?Θ= 2.0×1030 ??. Note: 1 ??=1.50×1011 ?)arrow_forward
- Why didnt astronomers before Shapley realize how large our Galaxy is?arrow_forwardSuppose three stars lie in the disk of the Galaxy at distances of 20,000 light-years, 25,000 light-years, and 30,000 light-years from the galactic center, and suppose that right now all three are lined up in such a way that it is possible to draw a straight line through them and on to the center of the Galaxy. How will the relative positions of these three stars change with time? Assume that their orbits are all circular and lie in the plane of the disk.arrow_forwardIf the diameter of the Milky Way Galaxys visible disk, 80,000 ly, is represented in a model by a dinner plate with a diameter of 10 inches, what is the model distance to galaxy M31, 2.6 millionly away? What is the model distance to the Virgo galaxy cluster, 16 Mpc away? (Convert answers to feet.)arrow_forward
- If we now realize dwarf ellipticals are the most common type of galaxy, why did they escape our notice for so long?arrow_forwardThe center of a faint but active galaxy has magnitude 26. How much less bright does it look than the very faintest star that our eyes can see, roughly magnitude 6?arrow_forwardThe globular clusters revolve around the Galaxy in highly elliptical orbits. Where would you expect the clusters to spend most of their time? (Think of Kepler’s laws.) At any given time, would you expect most globular clusters to be moving at high or low speeds with respect to the center of the Galaxy? Why?arrow_forward
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