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II. Short Answer Questions · Q2

Q.How will you measure the diameter of the Moon using parallax method?

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✓ Free question

Step 1. First find the Earth-Moon distance by the parallax method: observe the Moon simultaneously from two diametrically opposite points A,BA,B on Earth's surface (basis b=AB=b=AB= Earth's diameter), each against the same distant background star, and measure the individual parallax angles θ1\theta_1 (from AA) and θ2\theta_2 (from BB) with an astronomical telescope.

Step 2. The total parallax of the Moon subtended by the Earth's diameter is θ=θ1+θ2\theta=\theta_1+\theta_2. Since the Earth-Moon distance MC≈AMMC\approx AM, θ≈ABMC\theta\approx\dfrac{AB}{MC}, so the Earth-Moon distance is MC=ABθMC=\dfrac{AB}{\theta} (with θ\theta in radians).

Step 3. Next, measure the Moon's angular diameter α\alpha -- the angle its disc subtends as seen from Earth -- using a telescope.

Step 4. The Moon's actual diameter is then d=α×MCd=\alpha\times MC (with α\alpha converted to radians), exactly the same angle-times-distance relation used for Jupiter's diameter in the numerical problems.

✓Final answer

First find the Earth-Moon distance MC=AB/θMC=AB/\theta from the parallax angle θ\theta measured from two diametrically-opposite Earth stations (basis AB=AB= Earth's diameter); then measure the Moon's angular diameter α\alpha and compute its actual diameter as d=α×MCd=\alpha\times MC.

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