Video H.E.T. PFIP Removal - Play video |
GlossaryParallax The apparent shift in position of an object relative to background objects when observed from two different locations. An everyday demonstration of parallax is easy to try: hold a finger in front of your face, and without moving it, wink one eye and then the other. When you see the position of your finger change with respect to the background, you are seeing parallax. Astronomers measure the parallax of a stars close to the Earth using Earth's orbital diameter as a baseline. The astronomer observes a star at six-month intervals, when Earth on opposite sides of the Sun. Astronomers look for a shift in the position of the star, and if they find one, they can use simple geometry to measure the star's distance from Earth. |
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Copyright ©2008-2015 McDonald Observatory. HETDEX is a collaboration of The University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, Texas A&M University, Universitats-Sternwärte Munich, Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics (AIP), Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Institut für Astrophysik Göttingen, and University of Oxford. Financial support is provided by the State of Texas, the United States Air Force, the National Science Foundation and the generous contributions of many private foundations and individuals.
