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NCERT Exemplar · Q43

Q.(a) How many astronomical units (A.U.) make 1 parsec?

(b) Consider a sunlike star at a distance of 2 parsecs. When it is seen through a telescope with 100 magnification, what should be the angular size of the star? Sun appears to be (1/2)∘(1/2)^\circ from the earth. Due to atmospheric fluctuations, eye can't resolve objects smaller than 1 arc minute.
(c) Mars has approximately half of the earth's diameter. When it is closest to the earth it is at about 1/2 A.U. from the earth. Calculate what size it will appear when seen through the same telescope. (Comment: This is to illustrate why a telescope can magnify planets but not stars.)
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(a) 1 parsec≈206265 A.U.1\ \text{parsec} \approx 206265\ \text{A.U.} (b) A sun-like star at 2 parsecs, even magnified 100×, still appears as an unresolved point (0.436′′0.436'', far below the eye's 11-arcmin resolution). (c) Mars, magnified 100×, appears ≈29.3\approx 29.3 arc minutes across — large enough to be resolved as a disk.

(a) Astronomical units in one parsec

A parsec is defined as the distance at which 1 A.U. subtends an angle of exactly 1′′1'' (one arcsecond). Using the small-angle relation θ=D/d\theta = D/d:

1 pc=1 A.U.1′′ (in radians)1\ \text{pc} = \frac{1\ \text{A.U.}}{1''\ \text{(in radians)}}

Converting 1′′1'' to radians: 1′′=13600∘=π648000 rad1'' = \dfrac{1}{3600}^\circ = \dfrac{\pi}{648000}\ \text{rad}.

1 pc=648000π A.U.≈206265 A.U.1\ \text{pc} = \frac{648000}{\pi}\ \text{A.U.} \approx 206265\ \text{A.U.}

(b) Angular size of a sun-like star at 2 parsecs

The Sun's angular diameter from Earth is θ⊙=(1/2)∘\theta_{\odot} = (1/2)^\circ at a distance of 1 A.U. — so a sun-like star has the same actual diameter as the Sun. At 2 pc=2×206265 A.U.=412530 A.U.2\ \text{pc} = 2 \times 206265\ \text{A.U.} = 412530\ \text{A.U.}, its angular size shrinks with distance:

θstar=θ⊙×1 A.U.412530 A.U.=0.5∘×1412530≈1.21×10−6∘≈0.00436′′\theta_{\text{star}} = \theta_{\odot} \times \frac{1\ \text{A.U.}}{412530\ \text{A.U.}} = 0.5^\circ \times \frac{1}{412530} \approx 1.21\times10^{-6\circ} \approx 0.00436''

Magnified 100×100\times by the telescope: 100×0.00436′′=0.436′′100 \times 0.00436'' = 0.436''.

Since the eye cannot resolve anything smaller than 1′=60′′1' = 60'', and 0.436′′≪60′′0.436'' \ll 60'', the star remains an unresolved point of light even at 100× magnification.

(c) Angular size of Mars at closest approach

Mars's diameter is about half the Earth's: taking DEarth≈1.274×104 kmD_{\text{Earth}} \approx 1.274\times10^4\ \text{km}, DMars≈6.37×103 kmD_{\text{Mars}} \approx 6.37\times10^3\ \text{km}. Mars is at d=12 A.U.=7.48×107 kmd = \tfrac12\ \text{A.U.} = 7.48\times10^7\ \text{km} at closest approach. …

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